Hope Enthroned
by DustyB
Summary: Hades had never completely understood why he'd had another throne placed beside his to sit empty for all those years. And then he met Persephone. Rated for language, violence, and adult themes.
1. The Empty Chair

**1. The Empty Chair**  
It was cold in hell, so damn cold, but Hades was used to it. After all, he was fated to spend an eternity there seated on his throne, and such an uncomfortable seat it was. The ebony was strictly sculpted, allowing for no unwonted comfort. What was worse, the throne beside his, petite and more forgiving in design, was empty.

And it would always be empty.

He repressed a sigh at the painful sight. Hell was a blasted realm, unfit for those of softer design. Why he'd had the second chair constructed beside his remained a mystery to him. No, that wasn't right. He knew why he'd set out a second chair to his right, just the right distance for him to turn his head and whisper to whoever was seated beside him, to take the hand resting on the arm of the adjacent chair into his; it was hope—And damn Pandora for unleashing such a horrid demon upon men and Gods alike. The fact that the elegant seat remained was a sign that he was still afflicted by the disease. It was futile and foolish to hope when he ruled over a realm so unforgiving as the underworld. And yet…

Hades glanced down to the bowl of crystalline water in his lap again, and again he found himself looking at a vision of beauty. A young woman sat in a field of flowers, three nymphs laughing with her as they relaxed. Guilt sparked in him as he realized that this was probably a time she thought she had to herself, and yet here he was, watching her. He simply could not help himself, though. He would look into his bowl with the intent to silently look over the realm he ruled, but all of a sudden a pair of fair hands would dip into the river Acheron and he would find himself gazing at her as she drank from a tranquil pond, or the Elysian Fields would melt into a familiar field of flowers with her lying in the center.

He was old enough to recognize the beginnings of obsession, but he told himself his intentions were innocent enough. He was just so lonely, and knowing that he would forever be so made his chest ache.

As he looked away from his bowl, his memory drifted to the first time he'd ever laid eyes on her. When he'd heard that she was just another daughter of Zeus, his whore of a little brother, he'd shrugged. Zeus had too many children to keep track of. It had been just another party to celebrate nothing (probably just Zeus trying to placate his irate wife after another affair), and as always, he had been out on the balcony. He was an outcast among gods and mortals, feared and hated for his merciless (but fair, although few praised him for his faultless sense of justice) outlook on death. He'd only attended to get his brother off his back.

Just as he'd decided that he'd been at the party just long enough to placate Zeus and had been getting ready to leave, a flurry of flower petals had danced onto the balcony. Three young nymphs joined him, the three of them prancing around…

_Hades swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. No, that wasn't a young girl that had just wandered out onto the balcony. Persephone was a young woman now, her feminine curves accentuated by her slender waist and generous bust. He wondered if her fair skin was as soft as he imagined, if his rough hands, the hands of a worker and a warrior, would ever be able to fully appreciate that smoothness. Her hair—brown and rich like the earth her mother tended—was down, with just enough body to fall down to the small of her back in a gentle current of waves, curling ever so slightly at the end. Her robe was white, trimmed with a gentle green, and it fell down…_

_There was a slit in the robe so she could walk comfortably, and a perfect thigh was bared to him, just below the knee. His eyes could not help but trace what of her skin was open for him to see, but when he got to the bottom, any trace of heat disappeared and his eyes lit with silent laughter. Her feet were bare as they stepped on the flower petals that appeared, swirled, and fell where her nymph companions stepped. The tiny little trail of grass that led out to the balcony, that was the trail of her feet, though, that sprouted wherever her feet fell. Oh yes, definitely a nature goddess, definitely his sister's daughter._

"_I am not too young to be wed." The young goddess exclaimed to the wind that swirled her hair as if in comfort. She rested her elbows on the balcony, then her chin on her palms, bending over. Hades, before he politely glanced away, decided that he liked seeing her in that position. It made her robes tighten around her bottom, showing him much more of her figure than he should have liked to see—though that didn't change the fact that he was very pleased to see her stand before him that way._

"_But mistress, do you mean to say you would like to marry Ares?" One of the nymphs asked quietly. Petite little creatures, nymphs were. Persephone was by no means small, however. She was tall, and thin, and willowy, but she was a nature goddess; she was a woman. A very beautiful woman._

_Persephone sighed. "No, I do not mean to say that. Ares is a pig-headed war-monger. I'd sooner marry a raging rabid bull than that stubborn old sadist. I swear, if I took him as husband, he'd probably swing his limp penis around and declare he was going to cleave me in two wi—"_

_Hades didn't know when he started laughing, when she'd likened his nephew to a cow or when she'd puffed out her chest and pretended to be her suitor, complete with her hand between her legs, swinging around an invisible and comically large penis. Well, at least she gave the god of war credit, right? At least Ares couldn't say she didn't think him anything but well-endowed. And apparently impotent._

_And pig-headed._

"_I'm sorry." He laughed, covering his mouth. He couldn't remember the last time he had laughed so damn hard. He couldn't _breathe_ he was laughing so hard. He gasped as he struggled to reclaim his infamous composure, or at least to not fall out of his seat. He had to swipe at his eyes as his laughter finally quieted, revealing the balcony to be eerily quiet. An absolutely mortified Persephone stood with her two hands still holding onto her invisible penis, her petrified nymphs hiding behind her. It was a sight comical enough to make him giggle. And he called himself the lord of the underworld._

"_I'm sorry." He repeated when his laughter had receded into quiet chuckles. "You seem to know Ares fairly well."_

_The goddess, in attempt to reclaim her self-forsaken dignity, straightened. She seemed to debate whether or not she wanted to cover her severely blushing cheeks, and ended up crossing her arms over her chest. "It's rude to eavesdrop." She jerked forward slightly as one of her nymphs elbowed her. A deep breath later she added, "Although I am glad my display pleased you, my lord Hades."_

_The stiff formality with which she pronounced his name was enough to dishearten him. She seemed like the kind of woman who approached everything with an energetic vivacity that challenged the world to take her on. He sobered, righting the bowl of water in his lap. "I must apologize again for having such a presence that you would not be able to notice me as you walked past. Although I do have a reputation for being invisible." He sat up, his shoulders straightening. Rejected again, it seemed. "But I relinquish this refuge to you. If you would excuse me, my la—"_

"_If I might be so bold to question, why is it that you are upset with me all of a sudden?" She asked, a delicate brow raising as she dropped her arms to her sides. She seemed honestly curious, even as she added, "I would beg of you to indulge me with an answer before you take your leave in spite of my rude interruption."_

_The sudden politeness in her voice was biting, but she was talking to him and not averting her eyes. "You are a goddess, Persephone. My name is Hades."_

"_How is it that you know me?" She asked curiously, moving to perch on the edge of the long, cushioned chair he lay reclined upon. "I do not believe we've met before."_

"_You are my brother's daughter." He replied._

"_My father's bastard daughter." She corrected quickly, then moved to correct herself. "One of his many illegitimate children. You cannot know us all, even if we are children of your brother."_

"_You are the beloved daughter of my sister, then. Is that not reason enough to know you?" He smiled when she smiled at him. "Now if you'll excuse me, Persephone, I have a great deal of work to do. I've neglected it for too long."_

_He'd disappeared then, though not so fast that he didn't hear the echo of, "Farewell, Hades," as he reappeared seated in his throne in the underworld._

Hades sighed, glancing down the hall. He froze for a second as he realized Charon was hobbling toward him with his ferry pole, sporting a black eye and splinters in his frazzled hair. Suddenly self-conscious of the smile touching at his lips, he lifted the bowl and drank from the water he'd been staring into. Slowly, he lowered the bowl again, his blue gaze narrowing on the ferryman. "Charon."

The old man bowed, leaning heavily on his stick. "My lord Hades. There is a war, and a great many soldiers cannot pay the ferry toll*. I require a new ferry pole."

Hades nodded, setting his bowl on the throne beside his, ignoring the painful twinge in his chest because that wasn't what the chair was for. That chair was for his consort, his wife, his queen, his… He swallowed, leaning back in his chair. "And you shall have what you need."

"My lord?"

"And extras. Leave me." He commanded. It was only after Charon left and the throne room was empty again that he picked up the bowl and threw it off his black marble dais. It didn't make him feel better to see it smash against the far wall, and he swept out of his throne room. He didn't need to see the water trickling across the black marble, splaying her image across the wall and floor.

* * *

**Translator's Note:  
**Acheron: The river of pain, a river in hell  
Elysian Fields: The place where fallen heroes and the virtuous rest in hell  
Cerberus: Three-headed guard dog of the river Styx  
Charon: The ferryman of hell who ferries the dead across the river Styx

*When the dead are set to rest, a coin is set on their tongues to pay their passage across the river Styx. If they are not set to rest and cannot pay Charon's toll, then they must wait a hundred years on the banks of the river.

**Author's Note:**  
Thank you for reading. Although, I suppose I just told you all a whole lot of nothing. Sorry. But here it is, my first stab at the Grecian world. I decided to go with a more well-known story, and I've always had a thing for this particular tale, so... Yeah. Please tell me what you think, all feedback is greatly appreciated, even when it's negative. Thanks again. I'll try to get up the next part sometime soon.


	2. Narcissus

**2. Narcissus  
**"Blue eyes—"

Yes, blue eyes so dark they were almost black. He needed to be caught in just the right light, but those eyes of his were undeniably blue. All three of the brothers had blue eyes, but his gaze was the only one that could make her shiver that way.

"—and light brown curls—"

No. His hair was black as pitch, black as the realm he commanded. Was it as thick as it looked? As silky as she imagined? Such wondering would do her no good, though. She would never find out.

"—a great, strong warrior—"

Perhaps he was great, perhaps he was strong, but he did not seem a man of brute strength like Hephaestus or Ares, but nor did he seem to slip through her fingers like Hermes. And perhaps he was not as perfect as Apollo, but that somehow made him more of a man than the sun god.

"—who loves me more than life, and would give anything to keep me in his arms."

Persephone nodded, though her friend's words made her throat tighten. She'd had many suitors who'd offered her mother gifts, read her poetry, sang and played for her, tried their best to romance her, but… He hadn't tried. He'd laughed at her, chastised her so gently so that it didn't feel like a scolding at all, and then he'd smiled for her. Hades, god of the underworld, had smiled for her. It was such a gentle expression that had not fit with his infamous cold demeanor. The thing was, though, he hadn't seemed cold to her.

They—the goddess and her three nymph companions—sighed. They lay in a circle in a field of flowers. At the end of the field was a gently flowing river, and they'd just finished a refreshing dip in the water beneath the sun's watchful gaze. Now they were drying off, the cool wind teasing over their bare skin. Like most young women, they were innocently gossiping about the men they would like to someday lie in the arms of. As far as Persephone knew, the four of them were all virginal, all simply indulging in romantic fantasies featuring imaginary young men who were perfect in every way. But every time she took a moment to imagine a man's strong arms around her holding her close, a certain face would appear in her mind, his quiet laughter tickling her ear. Hades…

* * *

Hades lay on his bed sideways, an arm over his eyes. He knew there was work to do, but he was too distracted for work. He couldn't even nap because he feared what kind of adventures his dreams would take him on, what kind of images his unconscious mind would parade before him. So he simply lied there on his bed, fully clothed atop the sheets. Now that there was no avoiding it, he was forced to admit a terrifying fact to himself: he wanted to see her again.

A flash of lightning jolted him from his thoughts and, running his fingers through his hair, he sat up to find that there was another in his chambers. "Zeus." He couldn't even muster up a false smile for his little brother, so he simply reclined against the pillows, his arms crossed against his chest. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

As usual, Zeus laughed, his booming laughter making the foundations of the underworld itself shake. Hades supposed his little brother was a jolly kind of fellow, with his blond hair and blue eyes. Vaguely, it registered in his mind that, even if the three of them had drawn lots to decide their domains, fate had a funny way of working so that the sunny brother ended up ruling the sky, the earthy brother the sea, and the darker brother the dead. He supposed that also meant he couldn't complain that he'd been allotted the underworld and unable to be named an Olympian. It was fate that landed him here in the underworld, and it was fate that said he would continue to rule here alone.

"Don't be silly, brother. You know why I'm here." Zeus sat on the bed, giving Hades a pat on the shoulder that was sturdy enough to make the older god flinch as lightning coursed through his veins on impact. But he was used to it. "You met her, didn't you? My daughter. What do you think? I did promise her to you. My offer still stands. Do you want her?"

Hades sighed. Yes, he wanted her. He remembered when Zeus had first learned of Demeter's pregnancy. Immediately, his brother had flashed a note down to the underworld, offering his unborn child's hand in marriage in the event that the child was a girl. Hade's had found nothing unusual about that, quickly seeing through his brother's logic—If the girl lived in the underworld, then the rightfully jealous Hera wouldn't see the child on a daily basis, sparing Zeus her constant wrath. However, he'd dismissed the note, not wanting to become involved in his brother's schemes and affairs. But that had been before he'd met her.

Taking his brother's sigh as a sign that his presence wasn't entirely unwelcome, Zeus waved his hand across the air. Clouds, white and fluffy with no place in the underworld, formed a picture that solidified into a vision of beauty. Persephone and her nymphs, the same scene that Hades had been trying to avoid seeing in his scrying bowl. It was different from before, however, because this time, the women were naked. His eyes were drawn immediately to Persephone, who was laughing as she rolled over, and damn her and her feminine form, because she was wet, glistening in the sun. His mouth went dry and he had to look away, not just for the sake of her modesty but because it was a vision that made him want to do more than just look.

"Look at it this way. Persephone is in a field of flowers. A narcissus flower grows there, your flower. When she plucks it, you will have an excuse to rise from the earth and take her. She is a very beautiful young woman, Hades, worthy of only a god. Can you not imagine, brother? She would lie like that with you on this very bed. She is still a virgin, of course, but you could teach her how to kiss you, just how and where to touch. Your name is the only one that will ever fall from her lips on a moan, and I'm sure the young girl has enough energy to get even you to scream."

Movement on the bed made the king of the gods pause, and he glanced over at his brother. A confident smile turned up his lips as he caught Hades pulling a pillow across his lap, looking pointedly away from both Zeus and the picture he'd painted with the clouds. "Accept my gift, brother."

With that, Zeus disappeared, leaving Hades all but alone. That image in the clouds remained, haunting him. His eyes were drawn back to it, and the erection he'd ineffectively attempted to smother with his pillow jerked as one of those fair, delicate hands fell innocently between her legs to pluck a piece of grass that was poking through the robe she was lying on. Frustrated with both his brother and himself, Hades groaned and rolled over, forcing himself to turn away and watch the moving image no more.

She was promised to him, but he couldn't take her like this. This wasn't what he wanted. He hadn't built that throne for an unwilling woman. He couldn't just rise from the earth and take her. It wasn't the same. Being the lord of the dead, he was too often faced with the pleading cries of separated lovers. People, who feared death more than all things, would beg to die so that their loved one might live. It was something he did not understand, but it was something he wanted. There was something enchanting about a bond so strong it spanned even death. He ached for the opportunity to feel so deeply for another, or to have another fall to their knees before the gods and beg, "I'll do anything, I'll give you everything I have. Just please, let me be with him!" What would it be like to know someone would give up everything they were for him, or to know that he would do the exact same for that very same person?

Determination in his eyes, Hades sat up, parting his robe. He was a god, damn it, and he was going to prove he was bigger than this. He was going to get her out of his head. This was a physical attraction; he wanted her body, those lush curves, and soft lips. He didn't feel a thing for her as a person. It was her beauty and not that smile, not the explosion life contained within her, not her bold charm—He was attracted to the skin, not the woman contained within it. That was his mantra as he turned his hard, cold eyes to the image of the naked maiden suspended in the clouds, reached down with both hands to wrap his long fingers around his throbbing member and stroked himself hard into a fast and viciously satisfying release that left him gasping hard for air.

Or at least, it should have been satisfying—and physically it was—but inside he felt raw and empty. And dirty. Why the hell did he feel so damn dirty? This time, he didn't have to force himself to look away from the image in the clouds. He didn't understand. What was it that he wanted from her? How was it that in a matter of mere minutes, that young woman had enchanted him so that physical gratification left him sore instead of sated? What had she done to him? Because he wanted her body, didn't he? He'd reacted to her body. He'd sated his desire for physical pleasure. So why wasn't he satisfied?

Frustration clawed at his stomach from the inside as he glared at the image in the clouds. "What have you done to me?" He demanded, knowing she would not answer. "Why won't you let me be?"

Before he could turn away, the image begged his attention, except this time the vision offered more than a moving picture. This time, he had audio.

* * *

"I do think I'm in love." Persephone confessed softly, reaching up into the sky to shield her eyes from the sun. "Or at least, I do believe I'm rather infatuated with a certain man, a certain god. I would very much like to see him again."

She was alone now, her nymphs having gone off to find her dry clothes

"He is a very mysterious man. Beautiful. An acquaintance of my father." She sighed, sitting up. She ran her fingers through her damp hair before she stood. Idly, the goddess began to pick the delicate white flowers that grew in the field. "He is very powerful, very stern, and he seems that he can be at times sarcastic, but he has the most gentle smile. He is a famed warrior, and the stories imply he values stealth and cunning over strength."

Persephone sighed, drifting closer to the water. "Oh, but that smile… It doesn't feel as if he is smiling because he wishes to please me, but instead because he truly has something to smile about. I feel as if it is a rare thing for him to express his happiness in that way and I wonder if, perhaps, that smile might be only for me. Or if at least that particular smile was. I wish I could see him again, if only to see if I could coax such an expression back onto those li—"

The goddess paused as she neared the river. There, amidst the sea of white and green, was a single red flower. It was a beautiful sight, a red trumpet surrounded by brilliant red petals. She was a nature goddess, so of course she knew what kind of flower it was. It was a Narcissus, and it was a flower of the dead, a flower of Hades. She swallowed, severely tempted. It was a lone flower, and if she picked it there would be no more left in the field. But she wanted it.

"Hades…"

With a caution she could not explain, she approached the lonely flower. It was so like him, all alone among a sea of other men who were all the same. He was the outsider on Olympus. Was it lonely in the underworld, or did he find comfort in the vast darkness? She took a step closer, another step, reaching out. Her fingers closed around the stem gently and she bent to smell the single bloom. Desire curled around her stomach, and she dropped the other flowers in her arms as, after a moment's hesitation, she plucked it. A soft smile touched her lips as she tucked the bloom behind her ear, but as she felt a rumbling beneath her feet, that smile disappeared.

Suddenly, the ground split before her, opening up into what appeared to be a bottomless void. But from the rift sprang a team of coal black horses drawing a dark chariot from the black rift in the earth. She took a step back, surprise making her stumble, before she realized that she knew the man holding the reins. Her heart sputtered to see him in such a grand light, the sun spilling down onto his hair, his chariot gleaming, his four steeds at full attention. And his eyes, his eyes were blue beneath the afternoon sun.

"Hades."

"Persephone."

There was something about his voice this time, some kind of strain she could not name. It was in his eyes as well.

"To what do I owe the honor?" Persephone asked, shielding her eyes from the sun as she looked up at him, trying to recompose herself. She couldn't show him how happy she was to see him again so soon, couldn't show him how pleased she was to hear him say her name.

Hades seemed to hesitate before responding quietly. "I am the one who should be honored. The goddess of spring deigned to pay my humble narcissus undeserved attention."

Persephone touched the scarlet bloom in her hair. She'd been raised on Olympus until her mother had put her foot down to all her potential suitors and hidden her away, so she was used to the flattery constantly embedded within the speech of the gods. "No, it is a lovely flower, Hades. And it seemed so lonely I couldn't possibly leave it here all alone."

The great god paused, then held out a hand. "Come with me."

"Why?"

"Come talk with me, Persephone."

The goddess paused, her gaze lingering on his outstretched hand. She wanted to take it. She wanted to get to know the dark man who owned it, to get to know his smile a little better. A soft, lilting voice called her name from the other side of the field, and she knew her nymphs were coming. Her mother had forbidden her from meeting with men without her supervision, and if her nymphs saw her leave with Hades…

"Persephone."

His soft, deep voice made her decision for her. She took his hand and found herself jerked into his arms. The feel of being held against his solid body, strung with tight muscles, knocked the wind from her lungs.

"You're naked." He observed quietly, and she had the decency to blush as, his jaw tight, Hades called out to his horses. Thus, they who dove back into the fissure. And then the light was gone as the earth swallowed them whole and they descended into the Underworld.

* * *

**Author's Note:  
**And there's chapter two! Thank you for reading. I have to admit, I'm getting a little swept up into this story. I'd very much appreciate some feedback, since I'm still kind of new to the world of fanfiction. But yeah, tell me what you think. Next time, we'll watch Hades grapple with what he hopes is lust. Let's see if Persephone can convince him it's not.


	3. Selfishness of the Gods

**3. Selfishness of the Gods  
**The people were rioting. Suddenly, the earth had turned cold and the skies had completely darkened. All the plants withered and died, and the people tore out their hair in agonized confusion. A hauntingly beautiful melody drifted on the harsh, biting wind that swept up the dust from the cracked and barren earth, clouding the once pure Grecian air. In desperation, the people beseeched Demeter for aid, but their cries were drowned out by those of the goddess herself. Her daughter was missing. Persephone had disappeared without a trace.

Someone was going to pay.

* * *

Bringing her to his bedroom had been a mistake, but where else was he supposed to get clothes from? He couldn't let her wander around the underworld naked. He couldn't. Other men might see her, and then he'd have to make sure those other men died a slow, painful second death, and that would take time away from Persephone's visit.

So there he was, in his room, beside his bed, standing behind her as he helped her dress. Already Hades knew he would be continually haunted by the fact that she wore nothing beneath his robe, which was too big for her in the first place. However, it was a fact that he dwelled on so that he could force himself to ignore the other fact that this was a particularly intimate situation, and the thought of her doing the same thing with any other man made him crave blood.

"Thank you." She murmured, her hand resting over his as he laid it over her shoulder. What would it be like to wake up to this every morning? He thought with a small frown. "I am sorry for the trouble, but if you had a comb too, I would very much like to borrow it for a moment."

"You needn't speak so politely, Persephone." He moved away from her, reluctantly slipping his hand from beneath hers. He moved over to the dark wood vanity across the room, picking up his ivory comb. "It is not as if anyone else is listening. You needn't worry about offending anyone."

"But I should." Hades turned around as he heard the young goddess sigh and plop herself down on his bed. Oh yes, bringing her into his bedroom had been a very big mistake. But she did seem to be loosening up, her frame more relaxed than before. Her voice was different too, void of that stiff formality.

"And why should you?" He asked as he returned to his bed, forcing his eyes to remain on her face. There, that was a sign, wasn't it? This was a lust for her body. He could fix this. It would be so simple a thing to get over her.

"I could very possibly offend the lord of the underworld, and then where would I be?" She teased. "I'd wager that way down here, no one could hear me scream."

Her words made his mouth water. She had absolutely no clue what she'd just implied, did she? What he wanted to say was that if she laid herself out on his bed he could help her test that tempting theory, but what he did say was, "Turn around, let me comb your hair."

To his traitorous delight, after a moment's hesitation she did turn around, crossing her legs. Standing behind her, he began combing out her still-damp hair. The limp waves, weighed down by the water, were so perfectly smooth beneath his fingers. She was silent as he combed out the slight tangles, and that silence made it so easy for him to enjoy the simple task. His stomach tingled every time he stroked his fingers down her hair, and he ached, oh how he ached, to dip his head forward and press his lips to the back of her head. What did she smell like? He'd been too distracted to pay any attention to her body when he'd brought her from the surface. Now he regretted the missed opportunity.

"Hades?"

He paused, jolted out of the trance he'd allowed himself to be sucked into.

"I believe it's straight now."

Hades blinked, surprised to find that her hair was straight. It had been, he realized, for a while now. He dropped the comb onto his bed, severely disappointed that the task was done. That disappointment didn't last for long, though, because suddenly she was leaning back against him ever so slightly. His eyes closed as her warmth spread through him. A foreign comfort claimed him, and he wanted to sigh and wrap his arms around her, to stroke her cheek, or even better, lean over and kiss her. But he didn't. Instead, he brought his hands to her shoulders, massaging them gently but firmly as he coaxed her to lean against him further.

Persephone indulged in a sigh, relaxing back against him. "Mmnn, that's nice."

There was the slightest hint of a moan in her voice that made him pause, but it was that same hint that made him continue in hopes of hearing it again. "Tell me, Persephone, whatever came of your situation with Ares?"

She chuckled, shaking her head as she leaned it back against his chest. "My mother took care of him. She always takes care of my suitors. Already, she has turned down Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, and Apollo, although she never asked if I was interested in any of them."

"Were you?" Hades asked a little too quickly, jealousy tearing ravenously at his insides. He did manage to keep the bite from his voice, though, and he supposed the question sounded casual enough.

"No." She replied to his relief. "But what if I was? It is not within her right to refuse them without consulting me first. They should not even need to go through my mother at all. I am a woman grown; I should be able to make my own decisions, Hades. But my mother…"

"Is it not your decision to be with me now?" He interrupted gently, hopefully. Finally, he gave into the temptation burning within him, sliding his arms around her, crossing them over her abdomen. It hurt that she tensed up so suddenly, and he added cautiously, "Are you making the decision to be with me now?"

* * *

From Olympus, Zeus had watched the entire abduction scene play out. He'd watched as his lovely young daughter had wandered closer, and closer to the flower. He'd held his breath when she'd plucked it from its resting place. And he'd shouted in triumph as his brother appeared before her, splitting the earth itself to get to her. Of course, the bleeding heart had offered her a choice, but what did it matter? Persephone had left with Hades, and that was what counted.

When he'd first flashed himself down to the Underworld, he'd thought he'd be much harder pressed to sell the idea of Hades marrying Persephone. He'd prepared a much more provocative speech for his brother, the cold, unfeeling bastard that he was, but as it was he really hadn't needed to try very hard at all. To think that Hades wouldn't need more than just a vague idea to get him going.

Well, not that it mattered. Persephone was gone and out of his hair, or more specifically, out of his wife's line of vision. Even better Hades was probably damn grateful to him now. After all, his brother was probably down in his chambers with his little prize and finally loosening up a little. In Zeus' opinion, the only reason Hades was always such a stick in the mud was because he didn't get enough sex. Hopefully, now that his brother was _finally_ getting some, he wouldn't be such a pain to deal with. It was the perfect plan; everyone was happy. He was a genius.

Whistling a happy tune, the king of the gods flashed himself off his throne and over to the balcony where Hera was gazing out over the mountains. His azure gaze slid hungrily over her body as he walked up to her, sliding a hand around her stomach and down between her legs. Her small gasp of surprise made his grin widen, especially as she reached back to stroke her fingers up his thigh. It was time to reward himself a little. He'd made everyone else happy today, now it was his turn.

* * *

"Are you making the decision to be with me now?"

Persephone faltered a moment, shifting to look up at him. It was dark in the underworld, and his eyes seemed black. There was nothing she could judge from them, nothing at all. But his voice, that told her wonders. He was unsure, he was hopeful, and he was… He was holding her again.

She found herself relaxing, a hand rising to cup one of his cheeks as her legs unfolded and bent so that she was leaning to the side. His eyes closed for a moment, and she took the opportunity to inhale deeply. He smelled clean, like a clear mountain lake, but there was a dark undertone to his scent, something spicy. Her stomach contracted ever so slightly. This felt wonderful, to be held in his arms. It made her feel special, wanted.

"Answer me, Persephone." He prompted, turning his head to kiss her palm in a manner so remarkably gentle it shocked her. This was the infamously cold lord of the underworld? This was the feared and hated king of the dead? It made him wonder if he was so gentle with everyone else, or if this was just for her. She hoped it was just something for her.

"You're not being fair, Hades, trying to charm an answer out of me with soft touches and kisses." She complained, though her hand did not fall from his lips.

"This is not touching." He informed her, something of a smile turning up the corners of his lips from their usual serious set. "This is not kissing."

Persephone swallowed. "It is to me."

She could feel his laughter rumbling gently in his chest. This was what she craved, to hear him laugh, to see him smile. How many others could say they'd been the cause of his happiness? The stories she'd heard painted him as cruel and unfeeling. So far, she'd felt no cruelty by his hand, and he must have felt something for her if he was treating her this way.

"You mock me." She frowned playfully. His gentle affections made her feel bold instead of shy. She was not a timid child, she was a young woman. He was treating her like one, he was the only person to ever treat her like one, like a person instead of her mother's child, so she was going to act like one. "Show me, then, what your definitions of touching and kissing are."

His smile vanished at her challenge. She watched those eyes, black in the lack of light, fall to her lips. He probably didn't realize how daring those words were to her. She was a virgin. She knew what happened between a man and a woman in bed, but she herself had never been kissed—this was the first time she'd ever been held in such a manner. And yet, she couldn't find it in her to be self-conscious, to wonder if she was being unladylike or unattractive. After all, he'd abducted her, and he'd been the one to bring them this close together. Her stomach fluttered at the thought. Her, the lord of the underworld had pursued her because he'd wanted to hold her, to kiss her, to…

He cupped her cheek, thumb brushing over her lips. Slowly, he drew his hand away, brushing her hair back from her throat. And then she felt his lips against her skin, up her neck, stopping beneath her ear. Her hand at his cheek fell away to rest on the arm crossed over her body. Instinctively, she tipped her head to the side as she suddenly found the need to concentrate on her breathing. Every time his lips neared her skin, her breathing would hitch ever so slightly, making each breath circulate on a shudder. And then his tongue slipped lightly around her ear and her entire body shuddered in his arms. She felt that low rumble of his laugh in his chest as he nibbled lightly on her ear, making her hand on his arm tense.

"Answer me, Persephone." He whispered, his warm breath tickling her ear. For some reason, as the situation aligning with her earlier fantasy made it seem so much more real. The realization made her blush, and that only made him chuckle again and repeat, "Answer me, Persephone."

"Answer… what, again? The question…"

He laughed again. It should have been infuriating, but that simple, quiet sound made her ache in a way she couldn't understand. "Yes Hades, I want to be here with you." He murmured, his lips moving to her cheek before he lifted his hand again to cup her cheek, and again his thumb brushed over her lips. He was getting close, so close!

She panicked, turning into his body and tucking her arms against her chest. "Yes Hades, I want to be here with you." She repeated against him as she hid her severely flushed cheeks his shoulder.

He laughed—really laughed this time, not just chuckled—as he held her close and cradled her head to his chest. "I know, sweetheart, I know."

* * *

**Author's Note:**  
And there's chapter three! Thank you for reading up to this point. I'm very grateful for all the feedback I've gotten from my friends and readers. Here's another chapter for you. If I put in a reference to something you don't understand, then please let me know in your review so that I can put it under a translator's note. Otherwise, please tell me what you think, if you like what I'm doing, or how I can improve. Thanks again for reading!

xxDusty


	4. Wish Come True

**4. Wish Come True**  
What was he doing? He'd carted her down to the underworld for sex, to get her out of his mind. But there they were, lying in his bed, and napping—napping! She'd just seemed so cute and flustered. He just hadn't been able to push her further. He'd laughed and held her, and then he'd caught her yawning, pushed her into his bed, curled up around her, and let her sleep.

What the hell was he doing?

Hades sighed, leaning forward and inhaling deeply. Her scent calmed him, soothed him so effortlessly. She smelled of the earth, rich with the gentle fragrance of flowers. Her skin was soft, softer than he'd imagined, and he trailed his hand up and down, up and down her arm. Eventually, he stopped, taking her hand into his just to hold it. Her hand was smaller than his, he realized, her fingers more slight and slender. He pressed his lips to her hair, lingering as he realized it smelled of olives.

It was when he caught himself in another smile that he stopped. Okay, that was enough. He was literally melting around her, and that wasn't what he'd meant to do at all. He'd thought that, if he'd brought her down into the Underworld with him and spent some time with her, he'd grow bored and regain the ability to think clearly. If anything, he was in even deeper than he had been before. Hell, he was spooned up behind her, fingers linked, his lips pressed gently to her hair, and he was happy with it.

_But isn't this what you wanted?_ A traitorous voice in his head whispered.

Denial rose in his throat even as desire pooled in his stomach. Yes, this was what he wanted. Or at least, this was something that could turn into what he wanted. Pushing the thought to the back of his mind, Hades forced himself to relax, a task that was far too easy with her in his arms, and closed his eyes. No matter what he thought, nothing could have kept him from snuggling against her again and taking her scent deep into his body, memorizing it before he fell asleep.

* * *

He was holding her hand. He thought she was asleep, but how did he expect her to do more than close her eyes? He was so close she couldn't even begin to relax enough to actually sleep. Yes, her breathing was even, but they'd been lying down a long time.

For the longest time he'd simply just laid still behind her, but just as she'd thought he'd fallen asleep behind her his hand had stroked up her arm, then down, then up again, and down. She wasn't sure what it was about that gesture that made her want to shiver, but somehow she'd kept herself under control. She didn't want him to know she was awake, because she was sure that if she woke he would stop.

When she thought he could wreak no more havoc upon her poor mind, he'd dipped his head forward and, after a moment, he'd pressed his lips to her hair. It made her want him to trail kisses over her neck again, to touch her softly, to whisper teasingly in her ear…

A while later, his breathing evened out completely and she was sure he was asleep. Carefully, she lifted their linked hands from her side and brought it down to tuck against her chest. Gently, she brushed a kiss over their hands. It was the first time she ever kissed him, but he would never remember it. She was a coward, but it felt like such a milestone for her. She'd just kissed a man. She wished she could be as bold as him, wished she could kiss his neck, his throat, his ear, his cheek… But what would it be like to kiss his lips? The women on Olympus always seemed happy when their lovers kissed them. Oh, but Hades wasn't her lover.

But did he want to be?

Persephone sighed, releasing his hand so she could turn around in his arms. She pressed a kiss to the hollow of his neck, her eyes closing. The gesture was easier on her the second time. He smelled so nice. "What do you want from me?" She whispered, pressing another kiss to his jaw right where it met his neck.

"Persephone…"

She froze, worried she'd be caught with her lips against his throat, but a moment later she realized that he was still asleep. He was dreaming about her.

Her!

Her heart thumped wildly in her chest, and she wondered how he could not hear the thunderous throbbing and wake. What was he dreaming of? She stroked his cheek, eyes falling to his lips. What would it be like? Her head was spinning. Her mind was overflowing with so many questions. The things he did to her, and he wasn't even trying—Hell, he was asleep! It wasn't right that he should have so much power over her.

He made a soft, murmuring sound as he cuddled her closer to his chest. She tensed automatically, but after a moment, she found herself relaxing against him, snuggling a little closer herself. Curiosity fluttered at the back of her mind. What would it be like to wake up to him? His arms wrapped around her, his lips pressed to the top of her head, his scent filling her mind… She'd like that. She'd really like that, she decided.

"Goodnight, Hades." She murmured, the slightest of smiles coloring her expression, pressing one last kiss to his collarbone before, finally, she relaxed in his arms completely. There were so many questions running through her mind, but there was only one way to find her answers.

* * *

He woke with a wonderful weight against his chest. Somehow during their nap, he'd ended up on his back, and her head was on his shoulder. His eyes fluttered open as he realized that he wasn't the only one who was awake. Her lips were trailing up his neck, ending just below his ear. There was a moment's hesitation, but then her tongue slid around his ear.

"You're awake." She whispered, nibbling gently at his ear. His eyes closed again as she cupped his cheek, brushing her thumb over his lips. She kissed his cheek, her eyes concentrated on his skin. "Hades."

It was then that he realized her hand was shaking ever so slightly, and that her breathing hitched just before she kissed him, and her pulse was fluttering wildly in her throat. She was nervous, but she was trying, repeating exactly what he'd done to her.

"What do I do now?" She asked, kissing his cheek. "You stopped. Right here."

"No, you stopped me." He amended, regretting his words instantly as her hand on his shoulder tensed, fisting in his robe. A small frown on his lips, Hades sat up. "I didn't mean it that way, I just… You've never done this before, have you?" He asked, trying his best to sound gentle. Damn it, he'd known she was a virgin, but to think a woman like her had never even been kissed before.

Persephone sat up too, beside him this time with her hands in her lap. "Never." She whispered, glancing over at him through the corner of her eye. "I know how things happen in theory, and I've…" Her voice fell to something even quieter, and even he had to strain in order to make out her words. "I tried by myself once. Mother always pushed the men away and I thought I would be a maiden all my life, so I wanted to know… but it wasn't as great as people make it out to be." She shook her head, her cheeks pink. "But I was thinking that maybe… you could teach me?"

He closed his eyes. She had no idea how the image of her reaching down between her own legs would haunt him for the rest of eternity. He tipped his head back against the wall behind his bed, tilting so he could see her. She was looking at him now, flushed, but in spite of her embarrassment she stared him down.

She was using him, he realized, or at least, she intended to. She was asking him to be her older, more experienced lover, wasn't she? Well, except without the love part, because what she was asking for was just sex (which probably included an additional lesson on foreplay, too). Her mother wasn't there to tell her no or chase him away. This was perhaps her only opportunity to ever experience the pleasure of another's touch. Her proposition was something he could work with, something he could handle. Hell, it was what he wanted. He'd brought her down for sex, and now she was offering herself. When they were done, she would leave and go back to mommy Demeter and Olympus, and he could go back to his job. Perfect. Damn it, it was perfect.

So why did his chest tighten in rejection?

"Teach me, Hades. I'm not a little girl anymore. Don't you start too, don't start treating me like a child." She swallowed, her hesitance evaporating. "I'm a woman grown, and you're the only one who seems to see that. I know what I want, so teach me."

As he reached over, drawing her into his lap, he cupped her cheek. At least she thought of him as special, and that seemed to mean a great deal to her. There was no one else who treated her the way he did, apparently. That must have meant that there was no one else who saw her in the same light. She wasn't just a beautiful maiden, she wasn't just Demeter's daughter; she was a bold young woman with a mind of her own, with spunk, and charm, and the softest touch he'd ever known.

"Pay attention." He murmured before finally, ignoring the ache in his chest, he lowered his lips to hers.

* * *

**Author's Note:**  
Sorry, this one is really short but it does get the point across, right? Hades has finally cracked. Thank you again to those of you writing your reviews and giving me feedback, and thank you to all those who've been reading. The continued support really helps keep me focused. I'll get the next chapter up soon.

xxDusty


	5. The First Lesson

**Warning:**

The following chapter contains scenes of a sexual nature. If you're uncomfortable reading it, you can stop when the story switches over to Persephone's perspective. The story will still continue to make sense, and you'll get the gist of whatever it is you skipped.

* * *

**5. The First Lesson**

He cupped her cheek, kissing her gently. She was hesitant, but then she was returning his kisses, quickly picking up confidence. What he wanted to do was roll her over and pin her to his bed, but he knew he couldn't do that. He needed to be patient with her. So he simply held her in his lap, keeping his tongue in his own mouth as he enjoyed the simple sensation of kissing. It wasn't long, however, before his hand drifted up from her back and found a gentle hold in her hair. Ah, and it was dry this time.

"Hades, I…"

He pulled away just long enough to speak, shaking his head gently. "Shh, sweetheart. Don't speak. Don't think."

"You called me sweetheart."

He couldn't help but smile at that. "Yes I did."

"Why can't I speak?"

He raised a brow before replying matter-of-factly. "It's harder to kiss that way." He moved in to kiss her again, but she stopped him by placing a finger to his lips.

"Why can't I think?" She persisted.

"Because thinking will make you nervous." Hades replied easily, eyes closing as he kissed her finger, turning his head and parting his lips so he could take it into his mouth. He didn't miss her shudder as his tongue tasted her skin, sliding over the delicate pad of her fingertip. He'd long since decided to abandon all thought himself, for fear he might find a reason to back out of this. He just needed to concentrate on her.

He pulled away from her finger, placing a heated kiss to her palm. "Don't think. Don't get nervous. Don't back out. I want you, Persephone. Let me take you."

When he finally looked back up at her, she had a rather shocked expression on her face, and when she noticed his eyes were on hers she looked away, a flush appearing over her cheeks. He faltered for a moment, not sure if she wanted to stop or continue, but then she took his hand into his. Separating one of his fingers from the rest, she licked the pad of his pointer before opening her mouth, taking it in, and sucking. A soft groan escaped his lips as his eyes closed, his mind spinning a similar situation for him, except it featured her tongue exploring a completely different and infinitely more sensitive appendage of his.

He opened his eyes again just in time to watch her slide his finger from between her lips, and with her eyes still on his hand murmur, "I want you too, Ha—"

She never finished what she wanted to say, because the next moment he had her pinned to the bed, his lips on hers as he kissed her hungrily. The way he'd pushed her back, the robe he'd lent her was gathered at her knees from how she'd been sitting before, and he quickly took advantage of that. He slid his hand up her thigh, grinning against her lips as her hand moved to cover his. He could tell she didn't know whether to be encouraging or discouraging as his hand slid up her bare skin to her hip.

She wasn't wearing anything under his robe.

He found himself grinning as he stroked her lips boldly with his tongue, trying to coax them open. She didn't seem to catch the hint, however, but he wasn't bothered. Like she'd said, she'd never been kissed before. As he distracted her there, he slid his hand further up her body. Her hand still covered his, and her stomach quivered as their hands slid over her abdomen. His other hand went to tug at the knot in her sash so their hands could slide all the way up to cover her breast. Her eyes widened, and in her surprise she gasped. Her lips finally parted, and he slid his tongue into her mouth to brush against hers.

Hades had to give her credit; she picked up new things quickly. It didn't take long until she ceased mirroring his movements and began to explore on her own. Her free hand buried in his hair, but her other hand remained covering his as he brushed his hands over her breasts. She was still new to things, however, and she still hadn't gotten the concept of breathing yet. He gave her a moment to collect herself, drawing away long enough to completely undo her sash and part her robe, baring her skin to his ravenous gaze.

Her chest was heaving as she tried to regain her breath. She reached up to cover herself at first, but after a moment with her arms lifted she seemed to change her mind, sliding them out of the sleeves of his robe and propping herself up on the pillows. She was blushing again, and he could tell she was about to cover herself up again so he took her hands, lacing their fingers together as he dipped his head to kiss her softly.

"Relax, sweetheart." He murmured in her ear. She'd seemed to like the sentiment of the pet name very much the first time, so he hoped she would respond to it again.

She nodded furiously, but she didn't look anything but scared now. Hell, now that the barrier of clothes was gone, she looked terrified; her hands were shaking in his. Sighing, he released her hands and wrapped his arms around her. She returned the gesture and he sat up with her, bringing her into his lap again. Her arms slipped under his, she buried her face into his shoulder. "It's alright. We don't have to do this." He managed to say. Where was his resolve now? She wouldn't stop him if he continued, but…

"Hades, wait." Persephone whispered against his chest. She was still breathing too hard. "Just… Just wait. Give me a moment. Please."

So he waited. He shifted, leaning against the wall behind the bed. After a moment of just sitting, he began to rub her back, intermittently pressing kisses to the top of her head and stroking her hair. Eventually her breathing calmed, and he felt her lips tracing his collarbone.

"Are you ready?" He asked, though by the tone of his voice, it sounded more like he was asking her, 'Are you sure?'

She pulled back, her eyes set and determined again. Confidently, she replied, "Yes."

* * *

It wasn't fair, the effect he had on her. The warmth of his hands on her skin made her shudder, and the pressure of his gaze on her body was a tangible force. She'd all but melted under his gentle touch and dark eyes, to say nothing of his lips and tongue. And the way he tasted…

Before he could even move, she leaned forward and kissed him. She couldn't help but be a little smug at his surprise, although she knew that he was probably the smug one at the moment. He let her move at her own pace, sliding his hands into her hair and waiting for her tongue to brush across his lips before he parted them. Granted, his tongue rushed out to meet hers fairly quickly, but still, he'd waited for her, and that gesture in itself was kind of sweet.

She realized now why her mother had been so adamant about not allowing her to let any man lay a finger on her. She was completely at his mercy now. He was bigger and stronger than she was, and they were alone in his bedroom. She was naked. Her powers were pitiful compared to his. And yet, did she not have a similar power over him? He seemed to be taking as much pleasure from this as she, and she knew that if she asked it of him, he would stop.

Curious to see what he would do, she shifted in his lap so she straddled his hips, burying one of her hands in his hair. The hand around her body shifted too, sliding down her back and around to cup her bottom, then tug her close in a gesture so sudden it made her squeak. And of course, that just made him chuckle as his lips fell from hers to trace kisses along her collarbone.

"What's so funny?" She demanded breathlessly.

"You." He replied mischievously as he lowered her down onto the bed. "Take off my robe, Persephone."

She felt dizzy from all the sensations, but she still had the self-control to cock a brow at him. Her earlier embarrassment was gone. The thing was, it was hard to feel anything but confident, and beautiful, and sexy with the way he treated her. Even his question now, which by all rights should have made her blush and slap him, made her smirk. "What if I don't want to?" She challenged.

"You want to, Persephone. You want to." He kissed the center of her chest, and the gesture made her shudder.

"You're an arrogant man, Hades." She replied, even as she reached down for the tie of his robe. What was it about him that made her feel so bold? Now that she'd been given time to acclimate, there was little fear left within her, and what little was left only added to the thrill. She shouldn't be doing this. She shouldn't be with him this way, shouldn't be with him at all.

But she was.

With a sudden burst of determination, she tugged at his sash. She didn't look at more than his chest, though, until she'd helped him take the whole thing off. And then she pushed him back until he was sitting up, kneeling between her legs. Bending her knees behind her, but still sitting between her legs, she reached out the minimal distance between them and touched his chest.

She'd seen men without their shirts on before, but she'd never been so tempted to reach out and run both her hands down his chest from the sparse, springy hairs at the top and down, over the smooth panes of his stomach. But that was what she did, her eyes on him as he sat perfectly still. He was watching her explore, her fingers running over his shoulders, his arms, and then his chest, eyes following her fingers as she moved even lower, tracing the defined muscles of his abdomen before, one hand sliding down to rest on his thigh, she let a single finger run down the center of his stomach, dipping into the concave of his navel before sliding down the dusting of fine hairs beneath it. He was suddenly breathing much harder as her finger trailed even lower, but his breath caught as she quickly slipped her finger down his shaft.

His sudden gasp made her quickly retract her hand to her body again, her cheeks reddening. Ah, and there was the self-conscious hesitation from before. "S-sorry, I won't…"

His hand suddenly found her wrist, and her eyes snapped back to his. They seemed slightly clouded and unfocused, but they were very sure. "Do that again." This time, he sounded as breathless as she expected she herself did. Well, she did have the same power over him that he had over her.

He released her wrist, and, with less hesitation, reached between his legs. She paused when he gasped again, dropping his head to her shoulder. He leaned forward, his arms propping up his body on either side of her, and he kissed her neck gently. Permission granted, she explored the foreign contours of his body. It was different the second time, she realized, harder. As she continued her explorations, she listened as his gasps turned into moans.

He was fighting to remain still, she realized suddenly when she wrapped her hands around him and slid her hands down and his body jerked, his breath coming faster against her neck. Curious, she slid her hand back up, smiling as he twitched again. Finding that she very much enjoyed his reactions, she wrapped both her hands around him and stroked him, up and down, up and down until he was breathing hard and fast against her neck, moaning intermittently against her skin. She smirked, as he obviously enjoyed very much what she was doing to him, and when he gasped, "Faster, harder," she complied. Just as she was wondering what exactly was supposed to happen after two similar commands, his body jerked forward, his hands fisted in the sheets, his breath hissed in between his teeth, and…

She didn't see what happened, because all of a sudden she found herself pinned to the bed again, away from the spot they'd just been in before. His lips were on hers, his tongue slipping between her lips, and his hands all over her body. This was either a thank you, or whatever she'd done to him had caused him to snap, or perhaps even a little bit of both. Whatever it was, he wasn't holding back anymore to let her explore.

"Your turn?" She asked, chest heaving as he finally pulled away to kiss his way down her body. His lips trailed down the center of her chest, his hands sliding down her body along with them. Her body felt too hot, her skin too tight as he flicked his tongue over the tip of her breast, chuckling as her back arched oh so slightly. She might have pouted if he hadn't blown a warm breath over the other side, making the skin tighten and pucker before he closed his mouth over it, pulling with his lips and tongue. Without thinking, she buried her hand in his hair. When he pulled away to move lower over her body, she found herself still breathing way too hard, but she didn't mind. She'd just put him into a certain state, and now he was returning the favor rather vengefully.

His lips continued down to her stomach, his tongue delving into the dip of her navel before sliding lower. His hands spread her thighs and he shifted his entire body lower between her legs. Suddenly void of the distraction, she realized how… warm she felt down there, and her cheeks flushed. "Wh-what are you…?" She broke off in a gasp as his tongue—Gods, what did he think he was doing?—flicked over a part of her she hadn't even known existed, or at least, a part she hadn't known could cause such pleasure to dart up through her stomach and down through her legs, bringing that heat with it.

"No, you can't do that down there. It's not…" Her breath hissed between her teeth as he repeated the gesture, harder this time, and she attempted to clamp her legs shut. His hands remained in the way, though, firmly keeping them spread. "Hades! Stop, stop, stop, stop it!"

Her cheeks were so flushed, but each stroke of his tongue made her hips twitch and the hand still in his hair tighten. And then she realized she didn't want him to stop. He seemed to realize that too, because then he started sucking, and she stopped trying to speak. So this was the kind of pleasure women raved about, the reason they locked themselves away with lovers. Did this make Hades her lover? The thought of doing this with him again…

He stopped her from thinking then, because he slid one of his fingers into her, stretching her open just enough to stroke her from the inside. And then he had her experiencing that same, breathtaking pleasure he had earlier, and soon she found herself gasping, back arched off the bed as her mind seemed to shut out everything but what was happening that very moment.

When she fell back down onto the bed, he rose up over her, grinning rather smugly. Of course, as he'd reduced her to a gasping heap, her stomach still quivering, she supposed he had a reason to be smug.

"That was…" She began, her chest still heaving, but he silenced her with a kiss.

"I'm not done with you yet."

Persephone couldn't help but smile back. Gods, but she loved that grin of his. How many people got to see it so many times in a row? "You're not?" She asked coyly. The things he'd just done to her should have made her feel at least a little embarrassed, but she couldn't. She just felt so, so…

"I'm not." He repeated, kissing her again, more deeply this time as he settled his body over hers, between her hips.

"Oh!"

Hades grinned at her surprise as he shifted his hips against hers. "You weren't expecting me to do this with you flaccid, were you?"

Persephone frowned. "But the nymphs said that men—"

"They've obviously never slept with a god before." Ah, there was that arrogance again, that male smugness. And that grin of his. "Don't worry, sweetheart, I know what I'm doing."

"I trust you." She assured him, cupping his cheek. Now this, she'd heard this part would hurt, and she already felt a little tender, but like she'd said; she trusted him. "Teach me."

And he did.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Chapter five! This one was a little awkward for me to write I must admit, but I'm hoping it turned out alright for you guys. Thank you very much for reading. The comments I've received so far are very reassuring. Please continue to support me, it helps to motivate me a lot. Next chapter, Persephone will find out about Zeus' proposition for Hades. Needless to say, she won't be happy. Thanks again!

xxDusty


	6. When the Sun Shines in Hell

**Warning:  
**The following chapter contains explicit content. If you don't like it, don't read it.

* * *

**6. When The Sun Shines In Hell**  
He wasn't there when she woke.

Persephone sat up, clutching the blanket to her chest. As she leaned back against the pillows, she found herself wincing. She'd slept through the night, but she still felt a little tender. She didn't mind so much as it was a deliciously satisfying kind of ache, though the glamour was slowly fading away. The empty bed was thoroughly disheartening, and for the first time she wondered if it had been good for him the night before. He'd seemed to enjoy it, and he'd been so gentle with her.

The goddess was in the middle of a sigh, pulling the blanket up to her throat, when she realized that she wasn't cuddling up to a blanket at all. He'd taken the blanket they'd had sex on and given her back her robe—No, no wait, that wasn't it. He'd taken the blanket, yes, but she suddenly realized that she wasn't covered in the robe he'd lent her. This one smelled like him; it was the one he'd worn the day before. A soft, dreamy smile spread across her face as she inhaled that now familiar scent, taking it deep within her body. Suddenly, it became much harder to be upset about the empty bed.

She was just about to fall asleep again when a sudden weight on the bed made her turn. An instant smile claimed her lips as she saw Hades sitting beside her. Her reaction seemed to make him pause, but then he was smiling back at her too, dipping his head down to kiss her. Just as he began to pull away, though, she reached up to tangle her fingers in his hair. A moment later he mirrored the motion, his tongue stroking against hers until they were both gasping too hard to go on any longer.

"Good morning to you too." He chuckled, stretching himself out beside her. He lay down sideways against her, his head propped up on one arm while the other draped over her body, stroking up and down her side. "Feeling okay?"

Her smile widened. He was so sweet, so good to her. "You left the bed this morning, but as you can probably see, I forgive you." She informed him, slipping her hand beneath his robe to let her fingers play over his bare chest. Mnn, she was still feeling as bold as before, perhaps even more so. "Have you finished your work?"

"No." Hades closed his eyes, and she was sure he was savoring the touch of skin against skin. He made the smallest things seem so sensual. How could she not feel like a temptress when his eyes slipped closed at her touch, and soft groans fell from his lips when she kissed him in particularly sensitive places? "I wanted to come back to you. I want you again."

She paused, her hips shifting slightly. There was still discomfort in that now very sensitive area of her body. No matter how gently he'd treated her, he'd hurt her, and she wasn't quite ready for another go yet. She needed more time to rest. "Hades, I…"

He smiled, silencing her with her finger over her lips. "No, just talk with me, Persephone. Let me hold you, let me kiss you, let me be with you. I'd never planned on asking that of—"

His words broke off in a hiss as she parted her lips, lifting her head to take his entire finger into her mouth at once. The small noise of discomfort he made she assumed stemmed from choked-back arousal, and she had to force herself not to smile at him as she licked and sucked on his pointer.

"Persephone." He sounded irritated, but his voice had the undertone of a moan. He was so cute sometimes.

She swirled her tongue around his finger one last time before she released him, turning to snuggle up against his chest. "I liked waking up to your scent surrounding me." She knew he was smiling because of the way he tucked her head against his chest, pressing a kiss to her hair. "Does this make us lovers?"

He paused, and she held her breath. After a long moment, though, she sighed as she felt his arms wrap around her. That must have been the right question, because she found herself rolled beneath him, the softest of kisses being offered to her lips. "Hades…"

"Yes." He breathed. He pulled away then, resting his forehead against hers. "Yes, Persephone."

She smiled. "I am very happy to have picked that flower, Hades. And I am very glad I made a fool of myself before you at that party."

He smiled, stroking her cheek. "And I am glad I let my brother talk me into attending that party."

Persephone lifted her head, kissing his lips. "And I'm glad you have such an invisible presence, my lord, else I may never have made such a spectacle of myself." Oh, she loved his smile. "Do you smile for everyone the way you smile for me, Hades?"

His smile disappeared, but his frown was thoughtful. "Do you dislike my smile?"

"No!" She shook her head furiously, pushing him back up into a sitting position. She cupped his face between her palms, pressing an emphatic kiss to his lips. "No, I love your smile."

He didn't seem to know what to say to that. Oh, he really was cute, Lord of the Underworld or not. He didn't smile, but he tugged his robe aside and pulled her sideways into his lap, leaning against the wall behind the bed. Then, in one of those sweet gestures that made her heart flutter, he took his robe and draped it over her body for warmth.

Persephone laid her hand on his chest, tilting her head up to place a kiss to his neck. "You're so good to me Hades. But I'm not cold. You can look… that is, if you want to." She offered tentatively, shutting herself up again by pressing her lips to his skin one more time.

Hades took a deep breath before answering tightly, "No, that's alright."

She looked back up at him, frowning. Why was he taking that tone with her? Had she said something wrong? Did he not want to look at her body? Not for the first time, she wondered how it had been on his side the night before. He was still being so soft and tender with her, had said they were lovers (oh, her heart pounded at that word) now, but his refusal made her wonder. Was he simply being nice? Trying not to incur the wrath of a goddess? That was it, wasn't it? He was just trying to make her feel better.

She pushed away from his chest, looking straight at him. He cocked a brow at her, slightly confused. The faintest trace of a smile touched at his lips, telling her he was unsure of what she wanted but willing to give it to her, making it difficult to hold his gaze. He was so beautiful, but then again, he was a god.

"Last night... it was so wonderful for me. You were amazing. You knew just how and where to touch, and kiss, and…" Her eyes flickered down between his legs, and she blushed. "…and you were…" She flushed further at the cocky smile he now wore, and suddenly she lost her nerve, leaning forward to hide her face in the hollow of his neck. Suddenly her concern seemed silly, but she had to know. She wouldn't know until she asked. She had to ask.

"How was it for you, Hades?" She whispered. Fearing his response as he paused, not breathing for a moment, she began to babble. "I'm not experienced, I don't pretend to be. I knew how things happened in theory, but I'd never even been kissed before, and I… You were just so… I forgot to be nervous and I stopped thinking about what I was doing, so you don't have—You don't have to… pretend… that you—"

A sound akin to a growl made her pause as she found herself being pinned to the bed. She gasped, but he swallowed the sound as he took her lips with his in a fierce kiss. He straddled her hips, one of his hands slipping down her body to hold her torso to the bed as his tongue slid into her mouth, demanding for her to kiss him back just as fiercely, to touch his skin, to bury her hands in his hair. And she did, her hands tugging his robe off his shoulders and arms so she could explore the muscles of his back and chest, one settling in his hair as the other traipsed over his vertebrae. Finally, when she was so dizzy from the passion and the lack of air that she thought she might lose consciousness, he pulled away, those dark blue eyes challenging. He hovered there, and when she did nothing but gasp for breath (what else could she do?), he lowered his lips to her ear.

His tongue slid around the outside of her ear, making her shudder as his breath whispered over her skin. "Do you honestly believe me to be faking this?" He demanded quietly, his voice low in her ear. He was upset with her, she realized, eyes widening. She was a being of divine power as well, but his tone of voice made her want to quake. This was the Lord of the Underworld. She'd bedded the Lord of the Underworld, she realized. How could she not have forgotten who he was, though, with the gentle way he treated her? "Do you doubt my intentions, too?"

"No, It's just… You left this morning, and you don't want to look at my body, and you're… you're you, Hades." She whispered, imploring her to understand.

"I'm me?"

"You're perfect, and I'm—"

"Beautiful?" His voice was softer now, and made her want to shake for a different reason. "Passionate. Tenacious. Witty. Bold." He dipped his head for a gentle, lingering kiss. "Delicious."

She shuddered, eyes closing as her back arched ever so slightly. His hand that had previously been anchored on her hip was now stroking up and down her thigh. The heat of his palm was so distracting, and his fingers brushed her skin so lightly it tingled. Her breathing, which had more or less calmed, kicked up a notch.

"Then why did you—Oh!" He'd lowered his body onto hers, and suddenly she felt him hard and hot against her body. "Oh." She repeated simply as understanding dawned. Heat lit in her eyes. "Oh my. Is that… Is that because of me? But I didn't even touch you… down there."

"I broke you. You were a virgin, and I broke you. Your body needs rest." He leaned down to nuzzle her neck. "Mine does not. Mine wants to take you again, and again, and again, because I seem to have none of my infamous self-control when it comes to you. So believe me when I say, you were wonderful last night too, Persephone."

A blush stained her cheeks. "You're no fair, Hades." She mumbled, shaking her head as she drew him closer. "You're not fair at all."

He wrapped his arms around her too, rolling so that she was the one on top. "Would you have it any other way?" He challenged, stroking her hair.

"No." She muttered against his chest, hiding her face. She moved to drag herself higher up his body, but he squirmed underneath her, the faintest of blushes tinting his pale cheeks as his hips pushed against hers, and she was suddenly reminded of how aroused he was. Because of her.

"Sorry." He muttered, glancing away. "It'll go away eventually."

Persephone paused, then sat up, undoing his sash. She ignored his protests, which surprised her really (although the thought itself that he was trying to slow down for her was sweet), and parted his robe, reaching down and gripping him. The way he gasped and squirmed a little more made her confidence swell again. "You stopped your work because you wanted me. Now let me satisfy you, Hades."

She didn't wait for him to give her permission. She was his lover now, damn it, and she was going to make sure it wasn't just an empty title. As she began to stroke him, his hips arched against her hands and her name left his lips on a moan, making her grin. If that kind of reaction couldn't give her confidence, nothing would. "Go ahead, Hades. Just try and stop me."

* * *

Damn her, but how could he stop her? How dare she make a wager against him she knew she would not lose! And it didn't matter what he did or wanted to do, because after she'd brought him to his first climax, he'd begged—Curse her, that skinny little whelp of an imp—for her to do it one more time. And she had.

With her mouth.

And she'd swallowed.

The memory made his mouth dry, and Hades found himself swallowing as he stroked her arm up and down. She was sleeping. His determined little lover was sleeping, and she looked just as delectable as she had between his legs. He was tempted to leave her again, only prepare a bath and food, but he found he enjoyed watching her sleep. She was so beautiful. And she'd called him perfect. More than that, she'd forced him to admit that he wasn't at all perfect, that he was completely out-of-control with her. Lord of the Underworld indeed.

"This was what I wanted." He muttered to himself, brushing a kiss across her lips. She mumbled something in her sleep, and he smiled, snuggling closer. Curious to see what would happen, he kissed her a little more fully. Her reaction made him stiffen, and in more than one way.

"Hades."

His name. She was dreaming of him, and by the moan in her voice, the dream wasn't entirely innocent in nature. "Persephone." He growled, leaning in for another kiss as she drowsily wound her arms and legs around him, cuddling up to his warmth. She was sleeping. She was sleeping, and she had no idea that he was the tiniest spark of friction away from… molesting her. Oh, he had to get out of this bed, this bed with its sheets and pillow that smelled like her, this bed with this blatantly aroused and sleeping (sleeping, hah!) temptress with his scent all over her skin.

It took all his courage to slide out of her arms and roll out of bed, leaving the bed chamber to find the adjoining bath. The room above his held a pot of boiling water, which were rigged to a pipe that used the earth's natural force to pull water down into the large basin carved into the marble floor. The water drained at an equal rate at which it was poured into the tub by a hole in the opposite corner, so fresh water was constantly filtered through the always filled tub, keeping it warm. An ingenious invention, if he did say so himself.

After poking his head in through the sheer white curtain that served as a door to ensure the bath was clean and ready to be seen by the perfect little morsel on his bed, he returned to her. He wanted to impress her, he realized, and snorted at he thought. He was the Lord of the Underworld. He was the very definition of impressive. Sure, he was an outcast among the gods, not even deigned one of the twelve Olympians, but he was master of his own domain, ruler over death. He bowed to no man, not even his little brother, Zeus, king of he damned gods or not. But he wanted so dearly to impress Persephone.

He tugged the service chord, the one that would have food be brought down to his chambers. He wanted her fed and comfortable. She would like that, would she not?

Deciding that she had slept long enough, Hades gathered her into his arms, sitting up with her in his lap. He stroked her cheek, his lips touching hers. It was so easy to be tender with her. He'd had women before. Well, he'd had nymphs. They'd been very good for momentary satisfaction to take the edge off. They expected nothing. Sometimes they would rest for some time after their romps, and sometimes he would purposefully make an effort to have the same on more than one occasion, but that had been different. That was mindless sex.

Persephone was different; Persephone had expectations. She wanted a lover, she wanted someone who would care for her afterward, who would rest in the same bed and make all the effort to have her on more than one occasion, and to have only her. And he wanted that too, to have the same person who would care for him, who would care for him so much that even the power of the gods could not stop her. Desperately, he wanted to have that with someone. Hell was lonely. Hell was cold.

Persephone was so damn warm.

Hades shook her gently, patting her cheek. "Wake, Persephone." He cooed, kissing her again. "Wake to me."

She stirred and turned her face and body into his chest. Not an easy riser, then. Her stubbornness made him smile. He'd really come to like this woman. He didn't just crave her body, didn't just crave her heat, he really did find himself drawn to the passionate young woman within the skin. He hoped that she would one day be able to not only wield that passion against him, but for him as well. She was the kind of woman who would be able to give him that sell-your-soul kind of connection that he yearned for, although he never wished for the circumstance that would put either of them in a position that would require such a desperate measure.

"Persephone." He repeated, tilting her head back to give himself access to her neck. He teased her skin with nibbles and kisses before he closed his mouth around the skin at the hollow of her neck and sucked. He knew she came awake then, because her hand found a loose hold in his hair, and the breathy little flutter of a moan in his ear was echoed again when she realized what he was doing.

"Hades." She murmured as he pulled back to look at her, kissing the mark he'd left on her skin. The sleepy smile on her lips made his heart thump irregularly as she reached up to cup his cheek. "I like to be woken up like this." She informed him drowsily.

"Really?" He replied. The way she looked at him, all content and innocent, made him blush ever so slightly. This was what he wanted. This was exactly what he wanted. The thought made him smile, and her smile widened. "I've a bath waiting for you. Let's get you into the bath. If you're good, we can have more sex. I promise I'll be gentle with you."

She turned her head to kiss his chest. "You're always so gentle with me." She replied, wrapping her arms around his neck as he swept her off to the bath. Carefully, he walked her into the basin, which was wide enough swim in, and deep enough on one end, but still shallow enough in places to recline in.

"That sound reminds me of other noises you made for me last night." He teased as she gasped at the water. He liked the shy way she turned into his chest, liked even more the fact that she pressed a kiss over his heart, which was suddenly beating a lot faster.

"It is a beautiful room, Hades." She commented as he brought her deeper into the water, sitting on the bench that extended halfway along the wall on the deep end of the basin.

He gave her a faint smile. "You are such a beautiful woman." He responded, but he froze abruptly as a servant came in with a platter of fruits, nuts, cheese, olives, and wine. He growled at the intrusion, even if he'd called for it, shifting her in his lap so her back was to the other man. She was a goddess, she was _his_ goddess, and no other man would see her naked like this, smiling at him so intimately as she snuggled against him.

"Oh Hades, relax." She pushed his shoulder gently, bringing his lips to hers for a kiss. "Now feed me."

He was quite happy to do so, and he reached out, picking up an olive, feeding it to her. She leaned against his shoulder as she ate, smiling contentedly as her fingers stroked gently over his chest. It was a quiet moment, but it wasn't the kind of silence he ever wanted to break. It was such a cozy moment and he fed her a few more olives. He brought his fingers to his lips to lick the oil from them, but paused when she stopped him by grabbing his hand.

To his surprise, she licked the pad of his fingers before sucking one into her mouth. He bit his lip as she licked, sucked, and—Gods above—nibbled on his fingers.

"Take me again, Hades." She whispered. He hadn't even realized she'd stopped sucking, so lost he'd been in that heady sensation. Her touch inebriated him faster than any wine. "I've never wanted a man the way I do you. Remind me why."

He kissed her lips, and found himself refusing her despite the suddenly acute ache between his legs. "No, sunshine, I—"

"Sunshine?"

Hades paused, wishing for a moment he could take back his words. He was growing very attached to her. It was showing in the way he spoke, in the way he held her, in the way he found himself becoming so very protective and possessive of her. Was it really so bad that she knew he was coming to be more than merely fond of her, though? She was filling the emptiness, warming him with her very presence. Was that really so bad?

This was what he wanted.

"Sunshine." He finally repeated, finality in his tone as he brushed his lips over hers again. She must have liked the name, because she promptly deepened the kiss. It was in that moment that the Lord of the Underworld decided that he would do anything and everything to keep his little ray of sunshine at his side. He would woo her, make her never want to leave him for the surface world.

"Take me, Hades. Please?" She pleaded against his lips, shifting so that her legs could wrap around him. "I dreamed of you. I've dreamed of you before, but not like this, not in a way that made me _ache_."

As if her words hadn't already succeeded in convincing him, the way her final word lingered on a moan sent a tingle down his spine. "I would say Eros had infected us, but the little bastard's never been fond of hell." He murmured as he picked her up, finding his way along the ledge until sitting her on the lip of the basin put her at the perfect height for him to spread her legs, step between them, and penetrate her. He waited on the last step, though, rubbing himself up against her instead.

"I like this." She informed him as her arms wound around his waist, sliding down to cup his ass and pull him closer to where she wanted him to be. "Don't blame Eros. This is just you and me, lover. You make me feel like a woman instead of mommy's little girl."

"You are a woman," he growled against her lips as she tentatively rubbed herself against him in return. "I do not sleep with children."

She laughed at that, legs wrapping around his waist again to keep him near. "Silly Hades, we've been doing more than sleeping."

"Are you sure you were a virgin before this?" He teased her back, dipping his head to kiss her neck as one of his hands wandered up her body to cup one of her breasts. "You've effectively ensnared me, and I believe you've seduced me on more than one occasion already. I even begged for you."

His last words were said in a whisper against her ear as the hand at her breast slid down her body and into the triangle of curls between her legs. The pleading whimper she could not seem to hold back brought a grin to his lips, a grin that only widened when she spread her legs and angled her body to offer him more of herself. Of course, he had to oblige that blatant request, and he sank a finger into the damp opening of her body. The gasp that escaped her filled him with such satisfaction.

He pumped his finger in and out, soon adding a second as his thumb sought out that ridge of sensitive flesh between her legs, and he could almost feel her spikes of pleasure as if they were his own. He let his lips and tongue wander her upper body, tracing her collarbone, toying with her ear, his hand finding her breast again as he kissed her, swallowing her sounds of pleasure.

"No more!" She finally pleaded, shaking her head. "No more. Let me have you."

He chuckled at that, rubbing at her a little harder and a little faster until she gasped, shaking her head a little more desperately. "Not without you."

Her words made his breath catch in his throat. Not without him. She wanted to share this with him; she wanted this only because it was him. _Anything to keep her here with me_. He reminded himself again. _This is what I wanted. This really is what I craved_.

Pulling her closer so she sat just on the edge of the basin, he shifted closer to her, poising himself at the entrance to her body. He intended to tease her a little more, to draw out the pleasure a little longer, but as he slid the head of himself into her delicious heat, he couldn't help but bury himself all the way to the hilt. They both gasped in unison, her nails pricking his back as he filled her.

"So much." She gasped again, lowering her head to his neck kissing him there.

He laughed, his hand going into her hair and around her waist as he began to move within her. The moan that echoed through her chest made him react in turn, the water sloshing and lapping at his legs as he buried himself inside of her again and again, faster and faster. Nothing was going to stop him, nothing was going to tear him away from this moment. Soon, the slippery friction brought him close, so close to the edge, and he reached between them to again find that ridge of flesh between her legs. He stroked her there, and her hips snapped up to his, her moan disappearing into him as she took his lips in a desperate kiss. Ah, so she was close too.

He was so lost in the sensation of her he wouldn't have noticed the low, appreciative whistle that echoed through the bathing chamber if the slow clapping that began first hadn't echoed over the walls. He froze and she whimpered in response, but Hades turned his murderous gaze to the side to find his little brother standing just far enough away to be out of reach.

"Really, don't stop on my account." Zeus waved a hand at them dismissively before adding, "This can wait until you're done. I don't mind watching."

* * *

**Author's Note:  
**I really am cruel to them, aren't I? Anywho, this chapter ended up becoming much longer than I expected. Thank you for reading all the way through that whole mess where the plot more or less progressed about half a step. I'm also very sorry for the delay. School picked up and I got a little swept away. Hopefully, the updates will be coming a little more often. Also, thank you all very much for the comments you leave me. Next time, we'll see if Hades can convince an irate Persephone to stay with him.

xxDusty


	7. So Much For Apologies

**7. So Much For Apologies**  
Persephone gasped and hid her flaming face in Hades' chest. Her father was here. Her father had seen her with Hades. He had yet to avert his eyes, nonchalantly viewing their still joined forms as her own moans rang in her ears while she choked on the fact that her father—Her father!—had seen her naked, and moaning, and, and…

She fought the sound of frustration clawing at her throat. So close, she was so close to her release. And she wanted it, wanted to feel Hades jerk forward and empty himself inside of her. But her father was there and she couldn't move because she feared if either of them did it would send them over the edge, and that was not a scene for her father's eyes. Not that her father seemed to notice or care. He seemed to want to see them begin to move again, to watch the entire scene play out. Damn her father for being such a, such a… such a man-whore!

"Zeus."

Persephone had never heard her lover speak with such malice. She had upset him once, and his tone of voice had almost made her tremble, but this was different. It sounded as if Hades was ready to ruthlessly murder her father, and it sounded as if he knew he would enjoy the act, too.

The goddess was pulled from her thoughts as Hades separated their bodies, and she couldn't help but gasp at the friction, biting her lip against the sensation. He pulled her into the water abruptly, and she noticed there were marks on his lip from where he'd bit down too.

"Really, you don't need to stop. I haven't seen a show like this for a while." Zeus teased again, laughing. His comment made tears spring to her eyes, tears of frustration and absolute mortification. She couldn't believe they'd been seen like that, and the way her father was treating them…

"Shut your mouth, little brother." The intensity of the undiluted fury in Hades' voice increased, and Persephone's eyes widened as her lover turned to face her father. He was not just mad at his brother for the interruption, he was mad because Zeus had upset her. And now he was facing down the King of the Gods, Zeus himself, naked and still fully aroused, his erection standing proud and full above the surface of the water. For her. Her heart swelled. "You forget this is my domain."

Zeus batted away his older brother's ominous wrath with a hand. "You've always been one for grandeur. If the two of you aren't going to put up a show for me, then I may as well do what I came to do and return to my wife. I was in bed myself when this was brought to my attention, not that I came to you until after Hera was too spent for anything but sleep."

Hades crossed his arms, glaring at his little brother's arrogant smile. "Are you going to get this over with, or would you like to hold a pissing contest?" He retorted, shifting his weight to his other leg.

Zeus' eyes drifted between his brother's legs before he rolled his eyes. "I don't need your validation, brother. My reputation speaks for itself. Anyway, I came down here to tell you that Demeter is very upset about her missing daughter. Now, I won't renege on our deal, but you need to lay low for a while or that over-zealous bitch will steal her daughter back, tear your cock off, and use it as fertilizer."

Persephone might have protested at the first insult (she may have felt smothered by her mother, but she still loved the crazy old woman) but Zeus' threat rang true. If her mother found out a man had bedded her, the over-protective goddess was sure to castrate him and use his male parts as fertilizer in her own personal garden. Persephone blanched. Her mother was a fierce woman, but up against she had a feeling that Hades would take such an attack personally. After all, men tended to be rather protective of those particular parts of their male anatomy.

Hades reached behind himself to put an arm around her protectively. "As if I hadn't assumed Demeter would be upset. Don't treat me as a fool, Zeus. Go home."

Zeus rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. "I suppose that's the closest to a thank-you I'll ever get from you. You're such a cold fish. You should be thanking me for handing over my beautiful daughter to you. You're lucky any goddess is sparing you a second glance down here in this dark, dank hellhole you call home. You should be counting your blessings, Hades, even if she is just a bastard."

And with that final word her father vanished, though she truly wasn't paying much attention anymore as she turned suddenly cold despite the warmth of the water. Hades should be thankful her father had handed her over to him? What the hell was this?

"My father promised me to you?" She repeated, biting betrayal bitter on her tongue as she backed away from him. "You… I thought you were different. You were supposed to be different from all of those suitors who wanted me for my body and my status and my power. I trusted you to want me not because… How long?"

Hades turned to face her, one arm over his stomach in a pose that was so deceptively vulnerable it made her want to hit him. She ignored the bruises in his eyes he was obviously trying so hard to bury, pressing forward. "How long ago, Hades? Is that why you were there at the party? To meet your future bride? To take my future away from me?"

"Your father promised you to me the day he learned of your conception." He spoke evenly, arms falling to his sides as he reclaimed his composure. "He wanted you hidden away from his wife. Obviously, since you lived so long with your mother for so long, I rejected him. Then."

Her eyes narrowed on him, crossing her arms over her chest because she trembled and did not want him to be able to see. "But I'm here now. You brought me to your home, to your bed, called me lover. You obviously accepted his offer."

"That was after I met you. After you wrapped yourself around my mind and wormed your way inside of me and became all I thought about." He shook his head, but looked her straight in the eye. "Your father came to me then, told me about the flower. I only took him up on the offer because it was you."

He sounded so reasonable, and it only made her angrier; she was absolutely seething. "You kept it from me!" She retaliated, eyes filling with tears of frustration. "You didn't want me to know!"

"I didn't."

How _dare_ he. "Why?" She demanded, that sense of betrayal increasing and constricting her, hampering her breathing until her breaths began to come in quick, shallow bursts.

"I didn't think it mattered." He replied evenly. "I would have come after you on my own anyway, eventually. My brother is merely a meddling ass."

He sighed, stepping closer to her, pausing when she stepped back again to give her the most exhausted look she'd ever seen. "Have we not already had this conversation, Persephone? Do you honestly believe me to be forcing this? I may be a hard, cruel man, but I have never been a liar and I have done my best to care for you because I want you to stay right here where you are, at my side. I picked you, not your body or your status or your bloodline. I wanted you then, and I want you all the more now after having known you. I picked you, Persephone."

"Yeah, you picked me." She retaliated harshly, "You picked me because no one else would have you."

The look on his face made her instantly regret her words. Silence stretched between them as innumerable emotions crossed his features. She caught surprise, disbelief, anger, and then—Oh Gods, for a second she wondered if he was going to cry. So much pain contained in a single form...

But again, he quickly composed himself. He walked past her, pointedly skirting around her, exited the tub, and left her standing there, tears running down her cheeks. When she heard the door to his rooms slam shut, the force making all of hell shake, she crumpled, the first sob tearing from her lips as she cried over the stubborn man who refused to cry for himself.

* * *

Hades sat alone in the throne room, but he was not seated upon his ebony throne. He could not take sitting beside that empty chair again, so he sat on the floor in the middle of the hall instead, thinking. He knew that both of them were angry and cruel things were said in anger, but that didn't make those cruel things hurt any less. Especially when those things were true.

Cerberus, young and still growing into his body, was hopping around him in attempt to cheer him. Many people balked at the idea of so large a canine being playful, but the three-headed-beast was still technically a puppy. More than that, he was an intelligent, affectionate, and loyal creature. The loneliness would have been unbearable without the great demon dog.

She was going to leave him now, he knew it in his gut. His beautiful goddess was going to leave him even before he'd gotten a chance to properly woo her. There was no way she'd stay after a scene like that. She was right, anyway. He didn't deserve her. She was only in hell because she was the only woman who would have him. It didn't matter that she was the one he wanted anyway, she just happened to be the only one who wanted him back. Not even a nymph wanted to be continuously affiliated with the dreaded Lord of the Underworld. Why would Persephone, a nature goddess, want to stay down in the Underworld with him?

"I really am a fool, aren't I, Cerberus?" He muttered as he reached out, scratching the middle head behind the ears. The three of them had long learned that if they got jealous over another head for getting attention then they wouldn't get a turn, so the creature laid itself down before Hades, each head waiting for a turn. "This means I will have to take her home. You would have liked her. She is very brave. She may be the one other person besides me who would not run screaming from you. You would have liked that, wouldn't you?"

Cerberus nuzzled him, turning to his side. Smiling sadly at the offer, he sat up against the creature's chest and shoulder. Well, at least someone wanted to be around him. It was a shame that companion was a giant, three-headed dog. The pathetic thing was, he would have given up all of the puppy's unconditional love for Persephone to smile at him one last time. How his heart ached for that, for her. It was a thought that made his throat close and the back of his eyes burn. But he would not cry. No, he would not cry. He hadn't cried since his little brother had freed him from their father's stomach and the sudden light had burned his eyes after they had become so attuned to the dark, wet world of Cronus' belly.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Hades gathered himself together again and stood. When Cerberus stirred, he sent the dog back to work. It was time to go find Persephone and bring her home to Olympus, where she belonged.

* * *

**Author's Note:  
**So, chapter seven. This one was reeeeeally short, but there really wasn't much more to say about it. For their first fight, it was pretty nasty. -sigh- Anywho, thank you for your comments. Your continued support means a lot to me. The next chapter has already been started, so I'll update soon!

xxDusty


	8. Resolve Renewed

**8. Resolve Renewed**  
He found her in his bed, clad in one of his robes. She was hugging a pillow to her chest, sniffling. She was alone. He'd left her to cry alone. She probably felt so lost, confused, and lonely. At least he'd found comfort in a friend, but she had no one to turn to in this dark, cold realm. His chest constricted at the despicable deed, and he almost turned away from her because he wasn't sure how long he could keep himself together in the face of all the wrong he'd done to her.

However much he wanted to avoid the looming conversation, Hades silently crossed the room. He sat on the edge of the bed, his back to her. They sat there for a long, long time, neither of them daring to speak. Finally, when he felt he could avoid it no longer, Hades opened his mouth.

"I didn't bring you here because of your father." His voice was quiet, but the lack of all other noise in the room made it seem so much louder. "I only became interested in you after we met. And it wasn't just your body I was after, because all goddesses are beautiful. But you were different. You aren't like the rest of them."

He chuckled morbidly, shaking his head. "I would not have gone to you if you had not picked my flower, Persephone. I swear, no matter how many times your father came to me, I would not have gone to you if you had not picked me first."

He sighed then, turning to face her. She was looking down, arms still wrapped around the pillow. She looked so fragile. She probably regretted giving herself to him, probably regretted the soft way she'd touched him, the way she'd let him kiss her, and all those pretty words. She'd probably scorn him as a liar for the rest of their long lives.

"I'm not sorry for bringing you here." He added then, because he wasn't. "I did nothing wrong. You made the choice to come with me, you made the choice to sleep with me. But I am sorry for keeping things from you. I am sorry for leaving you here alone. But I'm not sorry for bringing you here and being with you."

He was extending a hand to her before he could stop himself, and after a moment he lowered it back down onto the bed. "Come on, sunshine. I'm taking you home."

* * *

His words froze her. After he'd left, there had been nothing she'd wanted more than to go home to her garden and cry. She wanted someone to hold her, to pet her hair and tell her that everything was going to be alright. But after that, after all her crying was done, she wanted to be able to return to him and be held by him to. She wanted to be able to say she was sorry for what she'd said, wanted to tell him she should have believed her.

But now he was offering to take her home, and she knew, she _knew_ he thought it meant he would never see her again. He was going to do it for her, too.

It was that thought, along with the addition of his pet-name for her, that made her tears start all over again.

She didn't want to leave him. She didn't want to never see him again. This was a man who made her feel like a woman, and not because he'd taken her to bed. What he'd said was true. He hadn't gone through her mother, and though her father had gone through him, he'd turned down that offer and had instead gone to her himself. That was something no man had done before. Hell, even the nymphs who surrounded her were gifted to her by her mother. They always made friends, but…

The bed shifted, and she looked up to find Hades standing. "I'm sorry, really. I'll come back when you're ready. I understand you don't want to see me right—"

She reached out, grabbing his sleeve as she pushed the pillow away, unfolding her legs as she stood. She wasn't sure whose arms went around who first. All she knew was that he was holding her again, his hand in her hair as he cradled her head against him. His breath of relief was shuddering and uneven as it rushed past her ear. She'd scared him. She'd scared the Lord of the Underworld, and all she'd had to do was make him think she was about to leave him. Oh yes, this was a man she could come to love, and one who would come to love her in return.

Suddenly, Persephone found herself being plucked off the ground. Again, she was on the dark expanse of his bed, its lush crimson sheets cool against her skin. But Hades was warm, so warm as he held her, stroking her hair and pressing kisses to her cheeks, and her hair, and her neck…

"It's alright." He murmured shakily in her ear. "Everything's going to be okay, sweetheart. Don't cry any more. I'll make everything better. Tell me what you want, Persephone. Anything."

"Don't make me go." She sobbed against his chest. His heart was beating so fast, and she couldn't stop her tears. "I'm sorry… what I said was… Don't make me leave you."

He paused, but after a moment that comforting stroking continued, his hand rubbing soothing circles over her back. "Why would I chase my lover away?" He finally replied, and her sobs renewed again, this time because her relief was so overwhelming she couldn't help but succumb to it.

* * *

She was sleeping again. She'd cried, and cried, and cried until he wasn't sure how much more his heart could take. And he had a heart. He may have been the Lord of the Underworld, but he had a heart, damn it, and never before had it ached so much. Never again, he'd silently vowed, would she cry like this. Not over him, at least.

He needed to keep her close, that was obvious. And tell her everything. He needed to tell her everything. Ah, and no more assuming. He would fight for her, try to work things out. This fight, their first fight, had worked itself out, but he'd been prepared to let her go. It would have killed him to do so, but he would have let her go.

He doubted she would sleep for long. She'd exhausted herself, but she'd slept quite a bit since she'd come to him. And even if she did sleep for a long time, for decades or centuries, he would stay there holding her. He owed it to her. It was his fault she'd cried herself to sleep in the first place.

She did wake not long after falling asleep, though. He knew the moment she was awake because the hand resting on his chest tightened, fisting in his robe as her head turned in toward him, and she inhaled deeply. Then her knees bent, her feet sliding across the sheets as her back arched ever so slightly and her body lifted itself closer to him. He'd never realized the act of his lover waking in his arms could be so incredibly erotic, didn't think anything could top it. But then, she opened her eyes, and smiled.

His heart stopped beating.

"Hades." She murmured sleepily, rubbing her eyes. He knew that if she'd been human, her eyes would be puffy from crying, but he saw none of that. She was as perfect as ever.

"You're awake, sunshine." He found himself smiling back at her as he stroked her cheek. "How was your nap?"

"You held me the entire time." She seemed to realize then, and she pushed his chest gently. "Silly man."

He kissed her softly. "I'm glad to know you enjoyed it." He kissed the corner of her eye as he had done so many times before as he'd held her, soothing her. Now there were no tears, however, and that raw ache in his chest from having caused those tears was muted. "I left you with no one to hold you while you cried. This is making up for it."

She sighed at that, but it was the kind of sigh that expressed complete and utter contentment. His smile softened. "You didn't want to go home after your father told you about the deal he tried to strike with me, did you?"

"I did." She replied without hesitation, and for a moment his heart sank. But then she reached up, placing her palm on his cheek. "I wanted to go home to be angry, and upset, and be alone for a little while. I would have come back to you. I didn't want to leave you forever."

Her words soothed him, and again he told himself that this was what he wanted. Or at least, this was something that was rapidly becoming what he wanted. "I didn't want you to leave me forever, either." He replied, touching her cheek.

"I suppose we're on the same page, then." She smiled, resting her head on his chest. "I've never had a lover before, so it goes without saying that I've never had a lovers' quarrel. However, I've heard we are supposed to settle large arguments where we fight, and cry, and fear for the future of our relationships with sex. Shall we go to the tub and finish what you started with me before my father… interfered?"

Hades chuckled at her. From her expression, she wasn't really into the idea of having more sex. She was merely trying to please him. She probably also wanted to prove herself to him after what she'd said. However, her words were no longer insulting to him. It didn't matter that no other women would have him; he didn't want them anyway. He just wanted her, and if she was the only one who would have him, then that just made it easier for the two of them.

"You've heard interesting things about the so-called ways of lovers, sunshine. But I have a different idea." Shifting, he gathered her into his arms and got out of bed, setting her onto her feet as he stood himself. After a moment of hesitation, he straightened his robe so no other men would get a glimpse of those luscious curves and her delectable, sun-kissed skin. She truly was a nature goddess.

"You're fussing over me." She _tsked_ as he went over to find his comb. He returned to her to brush out those wonderfully silky-smooth tresses, pressing a kiss to the back of her head. Despite her complaint, she stood still, and he had a sneaking suspicion that she enjoyed the act of being fussed over as much as he enjoyed doing the fussing. After all, didn't women like being possessed by their lovers? He know he enjoyed whatever attention she deigned to give his body.

When he was done, Hades tossed the comb onto his bed, wrapping his arms around her from behind. When she leaned back against him, her head tilting to the side, he obligingly dipped his head to sample the skin on her neck. The love bite he'd left her was fading (oh, the complications of being a quick-healing goddess), so he closed his mouth over her skin and remedied that problem. He even chuckled against her skin as her hand reached up to tangle her fingers in his curls.

"Are we ready to go, then?" Hades asked before mischievously swabbing the mark he'd left with his tongue, then blowing a cool breath over her skin. She shuddered in his arms as she looked up at him with dark amusement.

"Where are we going?" She asked, turning in his arms to kiss his neck. Then, as she always seemed to do, she reciprocated his gesture, closing her mouth around a patch of skin at his neck and sucking.

He couldn't help the nearly inaudible moan that escaped him, and he promptly forgot her question. "What?" He asked, his fingers tangling in her hair.

She licked him the same way he'd licked her, and he was shuddering in her arms even before she blew a cool breath across the mark she'd left him. "Where are we going?" She repeated patiently.

"Oh." He tilted her head back for a kiss, unable to keep himself but lingering longer than he'd intended when she accepted his tongue into her mouth. He was breathing a little too hard when he pulled away from her to rest his forehead against hers. "How do you feel about dogs?"

* * *

**Author's Note:  
**Chapter eight! Thank you so much for reading. Another quick update, and again, it's a little on the short side. Now that they've reconciled after their first fight, they're off to have a little couple time out of the bed (and the tub), but how long can that last with an angry Demeter looming over them? We'll just have to see next time. Thank you to those who are still reading. Your comments really keep me going.

xxDusty


	9. Hide And Seek

**Chapter 9: Hide-And-Seek**  
"Close your eyes," he rumbled into her ear, a smile touching his lips as he wrapped one arm around her waist. His other hand went over her eyes, and his heart sped up a little as she reached up and covered his hand with both of hers. He could feel her smiling beneath his fingers.

Persephone leaned back obligingly against him, a small giggle escaping her. "Come on, I want to see what kind of adorable pet the almighty Hades keeps in the Underworld," she coaxed impatiently.

Complying with he wishes, Hades brought his fingers briefly to his lips and whistled above her head, the sudden sound making her flinch in surprise. Would she like him? Women liked dogs, right? Well, Cerberus was a giant, three-headed guard dog with teeth larger than her head, but the puppy was still more or less a pet dog.

Just when Hades was starting to sweat because the dog seemed to be playing disobedient, the pounding of those giant scrabbling paws clicking against the marble caught his attention. A few moments later, the giant puppy appeared, his big, black floppy ears bouncing as he bounded over. He skidded to a stop before them, sitting obediently, but just before he could open his mouth to bark, Hades laid a finger to his lips, then beckoned the creature closer.

"Open up your arms to him, Sunshine. He can be friendly," Hades assured her, smiling as she did as he'd requested. Cerberus lowered its heads, the middle one nosing her fingertips, and then her cheek as she reached around his head to feel out what he was.

"Wet nose," the goddess began, a smile still on her lips. "Wet nose, soft fur… and floppy, velvety ears. You have a dog?" A whine from one of the other heads, impatient for the attention of their new friend, interrupted her chain of thought. "Two dogs?"

Hades let his hand over her eyes fall, allowing her to view his rather large and intimidating puppy. "No, just one."

There was a moment of silence where Cerberus nuzzled her, begging for her attention, before the goddess smiled, and then laughed. "This is just like you, Hades, to have a pet like this! Big and intimidating, but really so sweet. It's so cute."

Hades coughed, glancing down at her. He'd left one arm around her waist, and he used the other to push back her chin so she looked him in the eye. "Sweet and cute?"

Grinning, Persephone reached up to pull his head down for a kiss. "Sweet and cute," she repeated decisively, kissing him again as he responded with an exasperated sigh. "See? Cute."

"Cute. Uh-huh. Your definition of that word seems to be a little skewed, if you don't mind my pointing out. Most people flee Cerberus before they even realize he has more than one head," Hades pointed out, offering her temple one last kiss before he released her. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some work to do now that you're occupied."

She cocked a brow at him as he walked over toward his black marble dais before she smiled at him, and even though she said nothing he had the feeling she knew why he'd been unable to work. But it was her fault, really, that he had to worry about her being occupied and taken care of while he was away.

Sitting down on his chair, he picked up his scrying bowl again, looking over his realm and ensuring things were running smoothly. Every once in a while, though, he would find himself looking up to sneak a peek at the pair playing together on the marble floor. Each time he found himself smiling, he would quickly rub the expression from his lips and look back down to his bowl, forcing himself to concentrate. It was a peaceful way to work, though not as efficient as before, but he didn't feel so much like all the responsibilities were dragging along behind him, weighing him down. He felt almost light-hearted, as if the life contained inside of the goddess rolling around with his dog on the marble floor was contagious.

Unfortunately, Hades suddenly found himself jolted from his work and quite musings as a great knock threatened to burst down his door. Sitting up straighter and trying not to be appalled by the fact that he'd been slouching, he barely had time to brush the wrinkles from his robes before the doors opened and Demeter stepped in.

With those dark waves cascading around her toned form, Demeter truly was a beautiful goddess despite the wrath her eyes spelled out. He could see hints of his sister in Persephone, but she lacked her daughter's fluidity. Demeter's movements were strong, and she was obviously a goddess of the working man, of the farmer and his bounty. Where her mother would stand firm against the wind, unyielding like an old oak, Persephone would bend gracefully, like a willow, and dance with the breeze.

Assuming his usual aloof mien, Hades glanced over at Cerberus casually. He found the puppy to be lying down, two heads down with their eyes closed, the other appearing to be awake but idle. Persephone, he assumed, was hiding from her mother behind the great beast, which was probably a good thing considering his sister's obvious ire. Had they been caught? Was Demeter there to take her back? Though his outside appearance did not change, he readied himself for the attack. The goddess could try, but she would not succeed.

"Brother, my daughter is missing," Demeter began, making him tense inside, "You're the only one I can trust to find her."

What?

Immediately, the goddess began pacing back and forth, running her fingers through her hair. "Our brothers are untrustworthy bastards, unsteady and lusty, but you are undistracted by women. You are the only one I can think of that would have no interest in my daughter." She stopped, looking up at him. "I need your impartial indifference, brother, if I am to save her. I am sure she has been taken by a man. Please, brother, you must help me find her."

Shocked, Hades straightened in his seat. He'd known he was seen as a bit of a cold fish, but he hadn't realized that they thought him so limp that he was not even a suspect in such cases of kidnapping. He supposed his record was fairly clean in respect to flings and affairs, but he was finding that being "trustworthy" was like being accused of being "impotent," especially because he was, in fact, guilty of the crime. He may not have been the whore his brothers could be, but he wasn't chaste. He'd never felt so slighted by someone's trust in his entire life, and thus, he didn't have to entirely feign the coldness in his voice as he replied:

"How long has she been gone?" He tapped his fingers against the arm of his chair as if already bored by his sister's antics, though in truth it was the unintended insult that had him irritated.

Demeter shook her head, waving away the indifference she'd praised him for in her last breath. "A day, but she always comes home. Besides, her nymphs say she merely disappeared, and while they are her friends, they are loyal to me. She may not be aware of it, but if she ever says anything I should know, it is reported back to me."

Had he not been hiding the missing maiden, Hades would have punished his sister for the invasion of Persephone's privacy, goddess or not, mother or not. The Olympian was in his realm, and whether she realized it or not she needed to guard her words more carefully. In the event he and Persephone were exposed, he would make her and those nymphs pay for the betrayal. She was right there, she must have heard her mother's confession. Was she hurting now, or had she always known her nymph friends were spies?

"They said she's been humming and hawing lately over some man, or wanting some kind of romance, and yesterday afternoon she just up and disappeared!" The goddess stopped then, looking over at him and scrutinizing his expression, looking for some sign, any sign, of sympathy and finding none. "Hades, there is none who know where she is."

Standing, Hades stepped from his dais, going forward toward his sister. "She's been gone for a day, Sister, I doubt you need to worry. She is a goddess, and old enough to look after herself. However, if it will please you, if she enters my domain I will tell you, I assure you," he nodded curtly, his tone daring her to insist he do any more. "Now go, you disrupt my work. It will take me longer to finish if you idle here."

She paused then, as if she had to fight herself to resist offering the familial embrace she would offer most Olympians in farewell. She was good to remember that he would have declined her affection, and instead nodded back to him, seeming a little relieved. "Thank you, my brother. I will alert you when I find her so you will no longer need to worry about her stumbling into your realm and disturbing you with her childish games. If you will excuse me."

Hades stood there and watched her go, closing the doors with a thought.

* * *

**Author's Note**

Sorry it's been so long! It's great to be back here. It's been forever since I've had time to sit down and focus long enough to write a chapter, and even then, it is still extremely short. I'm still working to overcome the intense writer's block I've had since trying to pump out this chapter. Thank you to all of those with the patience to continue reading after my long absence, and I'm sorry the plot development here was so minimal. It's been so long, so please tell me what you think, as I worry there might be a lapse in my voice or in the characters since I've last written. I hope you all find it satisfactory. I'll try to get up the next chapter as soon as I can!

xxDusty


	10. Hades' Promise

**Chapter 10: Hades' Promise  
**

Hades waited a full ten seconds before turning to look over to Persephone's hiding place, wondering what was running through her mind. He could imagine resentment directed toward her mother, betrayal perhaps because of her nymph "friends", frustration perhaps because of her lack of freedom, or even something plain and simple as anger at the way everything had played out.

Sighing, he stepped from the black marble dais and crossed the room. He hadn't imagined the kind of isolation she must have grown up in. Hades was used to being alone, most of his family residing on Olympus. But even surrounded by the other deities on the mountain, Persephone was friendless. His brows drew together as he wondered whether or not she'd already known her companions reported to her mother. On one hand, this was only a painful reminder that none of her friends had been by her side because they'd enjoyed her company, and on the other, this was an incredibly rude awakening; honestly, he didn't know which was better. But either way, whether she'd been living with the knowledge that her companions were merely extra eyes and ears for her mother, or whether she was finding herself viciously enlightened and suddenly alone, he would be there for her. She had someone now who was with her by choice, and damn it, he was going to make sure she knew she could rely on him.

As the god approached, Cerberus stood, revealing Persephone sitting on the floor with her knees to her chest. She looked very small in his dark, oversized robe, her dark hair falling to the floor like a curtain around her body. Hiding with her forehead pressed to her knees, she looked so young, and it made his chest ache. What was she thinking now?

"Sunshine?" he murmured, dropping to his knees beside her. A little awkwardly, he put his hand on her shoulder, sliding it down to rub her back. He felt her take in a deep, shuddering breath and realized that she was crying. He'd already left her to cry alone for so long, this would not do. Reaching out to her, he wrapped his arms around her body and drew her into his lap. Finally she moved, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his neck. The silent tears he felt trickling down to his collarbone were heartbreaking, and he held her tight, rocking gently. Few knew him to be, but Hades could be compassionate. He'd seen this before, listened to the broken sounds of sorrow being soothed away by another. He would do his best to soothe her.

Persephone sniffled into his shoulder, and Hades suddenly felt a lump in his throat. "I liked to pretend they liked me sometimes," she mumbled into his shoulder, her hands fisting in his robe. "I would speak to them as if they were listening because they were interested. I could never tell them anything important but... I knew she'd picked them for me, but I liked to think, I wanted to pretend they weren't... Telling her everything. That they were there to be companions who would not endanger me, not to be... To be... Spies."

Hades closed his eyes, having nothing to say to that. They'd just fought because of this, hadn't they? She'd worried that he was only with her because his father had given her to him. She'd been so upset because she'd thought he'd picked her because he'd been drawn to something in her, and for a moment it had seemed as if again her life was being written by her parents. She knew better now, but now Hades understood why it had upset her so.

"They did not deserve you," he finally whispered, kissing her hair gently. "It may not be much, but... You still have me. It was not your father who brought me to you. I came to you because you, Persephone, are wonderful, and warm. I will ensure your mother does not find you here—even if you do not wish to stay here with me, I have the power to ensure that you are not found at all."

"And... If I wish to stay with you?"

Hades paused to draw back from her, putting two fingers beneath her chin to tilt her head up. Tears clung to her lashes, making her eyes sparkle as she looked up at him. Her cheeks were damp and rosy, lower lip plump and pink from being worried between her teeth. Even in tears, she looked so beautiful in his lap. She was so trusting, so at ease with him, one of her shoulders bared where his too-large robe had slipped off her smaller frame. Unease pricked at his stomach, and a doubt slipped into his mind. Was she only with him because he'd picked her? If she'd grown up knowing she was alone, was she only so infatuated with him because he'd chosen to pursue her? It would explain how he'd so easily swept her off her feet, explained the reason why she'd been so eager for a man who'd been alone for countless centuries. She was young, inexperienced... Perhaps she was only with him because she knew nothing better.

Guiltily, he pushed that thought aside. No, he had to give her more credit than that. That was a dangerous thought to entertain, and he refused to allow himself doubts now. "You can stay here as long as you want. Your mother will not find you until the time comes that you wish to be found," he assured her, dipping his head to kiss her lips gently, hands moving to cup her face with all the tenderness he could manage.

When he drew back he wiped her tears away with his thumbs, unable to resist returning the small, watery smile she offered him then. "Now Sunshine, what is it you'd like to do now?" he asked then, resting his forehead against hers. He loved the way she smiled a little self-consciously and looked down as she considered his proposition. "Yes?"

"Maybe..."

Her voice was small, but he could tell from the tone of her voice that she had something in her mind already. Still she was looking down, her hands around his neck playing with each other in a tentative gesture of timidity. It was just getting her to tell him what exactly it was. "Maybe?"

"Something... Something naughty."

Hades took a deep breath at her response. Ah, the things she could do to his stomach. He almost felt young again, all full of butterflies. Leaning in to kiss her neck, he murmured into her ear, "Well, what did you have in mind?"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

So it's been a really, really, really long time since I've updated. But here it is! Also, **AN IMPORTANT NOTE TO RETURNING READERS:** CHAPTER SIX HAS BEEN CHANGED. There's an important bit in there about pomegranate seeds which would've led to something in the end, but I didn't like where I was going with that so I went and edited that bit out. So... Something important, but not something too big.

Anyway, thank you for reading. I appreciate your patience with me. I'm sorry for being such a temperamental writer, I'll try to be better about this in the future. Please review, I hope there are no lapses in character here. I'll update again when I can!

xDusty


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